[English] Boy and Tree

There was one time a very young boy, who used to spend time playing by a tree. One day he got bored and he said to the tree, "I'm bored, I've played with these toys too many times!" The tree replied, "OK, you can climb up on me and play on my branches." The boy got really happy with this suggestion and he had a lot of fun playing and sitting high up, on the branches of the tree. When he started school, he spent more time away from the tree, but one day he came back to it, and the tree was overjoyed to see its young companion, and it encouraged him to climb on, but he refused. "My clothes are going to get dirty if I climb up on you." So the tree thought for a while, and said, "OK, bring a rope and tie it to me, and you can use my branches as a swing." The boy liked that idea, so he did that too, and would come back every other day to sit for a while on that swing. Whenever he used to get hot, the tree told him to rest in its shade. As he got older, and moved on to college, times became harder on him and he ran short of food, so he went back to the tree which he had stopped visiting for a long time. The tree recognised him immediately and welcomed him, but he was hungry and complained to the tree, "I dont have any food to eat, my stomach is cringing with hunger." So the tree said, "Pull down my branches and take off the fruit, and fill yourself up." The young guy didnt even hesitate, but jumped up and tore off one of the smaller branches and ate to his fill. Over the weeks, he tore off all the branches and ate all the fruit. After the fruits had all gone, he went away and didnt come back to the tree. When he reached his middle ages, he came back to the tree and said to it, "I have been very successful in life. I have earned a lot of money, I have a huge house and I have found a great wife. Now I want to travel and see the world." The tree was now very old, but to help its long time companion, it didnt wait, and said, "Bring a saw, cut off my trunk and make a boat. Then you will see the wonders of the world." So again, without hesitation the man cut down the tree. The same tree which he had played on, ate its fruit, laid in its shade; he cut it down and made a boat. As soon as it was finished, he sailed away and wasnt seen by his people again. One day, an old man, walked past the tree. It hadnt recovered from the time he had cut it down. He went up to the tree, but didnt say anything. He felt the tears coming down from his eyes. This time the tree spoke in a faint voice, "I'm sorry. I dont have a trunk for you to climb, nor fruit for you to eat, nor branches of shade for you to lie in. All I have now are my deep roots." The old man whispered, "That's fine. Tree roots are the best place to lie down, snuggle up and sleep after a long life." The tree symbolizes our parents, and the boy symbolizes us. The moral of the story is that we make use of our parents like tissue, and use them all up, and dont even give thanks, but they stay with us till the very end.   Free-English-Course@yahoogroups.com

 
 

English] Nice Story (enlightenment) Free-English-Course@yahoogroups.com

 

A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.

Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.


Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting.

But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband! d great distress.


Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-! law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.


Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."

Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving.


Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy.

She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.


Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper!r, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.


After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.


The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.

Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening. One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."


Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."


HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to work in another person's life through you. Send this to your friends and spread the POWER OF LOVE.

 

.

__,_._,___

BUMI DEMAM TINGGI!

 

Apa Anda merasakannya?

Malas berlama-lama di bawah sinar matahari?

Tidak juga dengan pertolongan topi atau payung?

Tidak cukup dengan kipas?

Kebutuhan pendingin ruangan kian tinggi?

Pagi terasa seperti siang yang menusuk?

Siang membuat dehidrasi?

Musim kemarau lebih panjang?

Demam berdarah dan malaria muncul dimana-mana?

Hujan deras tiba-tiba datang dan mengundang banjir?

 

Jawabannya, ya!

"Dekade 1990-an dan 2000-an adalah 10 tahun terpanas!"

World Meteorological Organization.

 

Kok bisa?

Permukaan bumi dilapisi dengan Gas Rumah Kaca (GRK). Ketika masuk atmosfer Bumi, panas matahari harus melewati panel ini. Kemudian diserap oleh tanah, air, dan ekosistem lain. Makanya, Bumi terasa hangat. Kalau tidak ada GRK, Bumi akan dingin dan beku. Proses ini disebut Efek Rumah Kaca. Secara alami GRK penting.

TAPI, GRK di atmosfer bertambah kian hari kian cepat. Bahkan terlalu cepat.

 
 

Alhasil, Bumi makin panas!

 

AKIBATNYA?

• Gletser di Kutub Utara dan Selatan mencair!
  
• 10 – 20% gletser di pegunungan Alpen hilang dalam 20 tahun mendatang.
  
• Gletser seluas 33.000 km2 di pegunungan Himalaya mencair
  
• Permukaan air laut naik 9 – 96 cm. Garis pantai bergeser dan penduduk pesisir pantai terancam mengungsi! Termasuk Indonesia.
  
• Sumber kebutuhan air tawar sepertiga penduduk dunia kering pada tahun 2100.
  
• Suhu air laut yang panas membuat terumbu karang menjadi putih dan mati, termasuk berbagai jenis ikan karang yang jadi sumber makanan manusia juga.
  
• Jumlah kelahiran penyu betina lebih banyak dibandingkan penyu jantan akibat suhu pengeraman yang lebih tinggi.
  
• 80% spesies tanaman dan binatang akan punah dalam 1 abad mendatang.
  
• Kekeringan dan kebakaran hutan di hutan tropis Indonesia kian tinggi. Bagaimana dengan orang utan dan habitatnya? Atau, kita, manusia?
  
• Beberapa jenis nyamuk pembawa penyakit, seperti demam berdarah dan malaria, menyebar keluar dari daerah tropis.
  
• Musim kemarau panjang dan musim hujan yang singkat à gagal panen, krisis pangan.
  
• Intensitas hujan yang hebat hingga terjadi badai besar, hujan keras, dan banjir.
  
• Kira-kira 150,000 jiwa tewas setiap tahunnya akibat pemanasan global. Tahun 2003, gelombang udara panas di Eropa menelan 25.482 jiwa.
  
• Perkiraan kerugian dari perubahan iklim mencapai USD 11 milyar atau sekitar Rp 110 trilyun per tahun!
  

 

KITA, PENYEBABNYA!

Kita seringkali menggunakan bahan bakar fosil (batu bara, gas alam, minyak bumi) dalam beraktivitas. Pertumbuhan penduduk, perkembangan industri, dan teknologi makin menambah parah jumlah emisi GRK yang dilepas ke udara.

 

Darimana datangnya GRK?

1. 37% total emisi CO2 datang dari sektor listrik à polutan terbesar: 23 trilyun ton emisi CO2 per tahun atau lebih dari 700 ton per detik dari pembangkit listrik berbahan bakar fosil.
   
2. Pembuangan transportasi.
   Kendaraan yang mengonsumsi 7,8 liter bahan bakar per 100 km dan menempuh jarak 16 ribu km, setiap tahunnya mengeluarkan emisi 3 ton CO2 ke udara!
   
3. Penggundulan atau pembakaran hutan.
   

 

Tahukah Anda?

Saat kita menonton TV, menyalakan AC, menyalakan lampu, menggunakan pengering rambut, bermain video game, menggunakan microwave, mencuci/mengeringkan pakaian dengan mesin cuci, menyetrika baju, dan semua aktivitas yang menggunakan listrik berarti kita sudah membuat Bumi bertambah panas.

 

Apa yang bisa SAYA lakukan?

Smat Saving:

1. Memilih teknologi terbaru yang membutuhkan energi sedikit namun tetap nyaman. Atau, ganti lampu hemat listrik. Menggunakan energi dengan bijaksana akan mengurangi kebocoran energi yang tidak perlu.
   
2. Lebih sedikit gunakan kendaraan dalam perjalanan singkat atau dekat. Jalan kaki, kayuh sepeda, naik mobil beramai-ramai, dan kendaraan umum, selain akan menghemat pengeluaran transport Anda, tentu saja mengurangi karbondioksida. Sekaligus olah raga, kan?
   
3. Periksa ban kendaraan Anda. Menjaga "kesehatan" ban Anda secara teratur mengurangi 10 kg karbondioksida di atmosfer.
   
4. Daur ulang sering-sering. Anda bisa menghemat 1200 kg karbondioksida per tahun HANYA dengan mendaur ulang setengah sampah kertas Anda sehari.
   
5. Butuh air hangat untuk mandi, air panas untuk minum kopi dan teh, atau mencuci pakaian? Gunakan secukupnya dan Anda mengurangi 420 kg karbondioksida per tahun. Banyak, kan?
   
6. Hindari membeli produk dengan bungkus berlapis-lapis. Tahukah Anda, setiap kali Anda mengurangi 10% sampah saja, Anda sudah mengurangi 600 kg karbondioksida.
   
7. Tanam pohon, tentu saja. Bayangkan, satu pohon saja bisa menghisap 1 ton karbondioksida sepanjang hidupnya.
   
8. Matikan alat elektronik! TV, DVD, VCD, MP3, stereo, komputer, games, ketika Anda tidak sedang menggunakannya. Anda menghemat beribu-ribu kg karbondioksida per tahun. Tak perlu dipindahkan ke posisi stand-by atau memasang timer karena listrik masih tetap mengalir. Jadi, padam sama sekali.
   

 

WWF-Indonesia
Kantor Taman A9 Unit A-1
Kawasan Mega Kuningan
Jakarta 12950
Tel: +62 21 5761070 (ext.104)
Fax: +62 21 5761080
Email: pandashop@wwf.or.id

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

English space from Free-English-Course@yahoogroups.com

Prime Minister of Japan

A true story from the Japanese Embassy in US:

Prime Minister Mori was given some basic English conversation training before he visits Washington and meets with President Bill Clinton.

The instructor told Mori " Prime Minister, when you shake hand with President Clinton,please say 'how are you'. Then Mr Clinton should say "I am fine, and you ?" Now you should say 'me too'.

Afterwards we translators will do all the work for you." It looks quite simple, but the truth is..

When Mori met Clinton, he mistakenly said "Who Are You?" Mr. Clinton was a
bit shocked but still managed to react with humor : "Well, I am Hilary's husband, ha ha..."
Then Mori replied confidently "Me too!"


"Learn to... be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not."