Being a Speaker or Viewer?
Being a speaker and a viewer is just as good. But if both of them take place at the same time, what do you choose, Ladies and Gentlemen?
U.S citizens supposed to be happy and excited today, July 4th. It is because today is their independence day. They always feel like that every year. There was a lot of excitement in celebrating Independence Day.
But, this year, they could not make it as usual. Not as happy as usual. Many reasons for this. Some of them are the trade war between U.S and China, and the ultimate factor is the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (the COVID-19) that hit the country resulting in numerous casualties.
Like it or not, the U.S has been experiencing the worst condition due to the spread of the virus. Based on the records released by the World Health Organization (WHO), there were more than 2.5 million people positively infected by the virus, while more than 120K citizens died.
The situation sparked tensions and confusion among the citizens there. So did I. However, my disorientation and anxiety do not correlate with the outbreak of the virus. Then, what is all about? Keep on reading, please...
I’ve never felt like this before. I felt confused. Which one should I choose: being a speaker or a viewer? The reason is I just realized that I would be conducting two different events at the same time. I am not sure if I forgot or what. I don’t remember.
I got this kind of feeling when I received a confirmation link connected to a talk show dealing with the publication of a non-newspaper printed media. That’s the claim of the owner. The name is DI’s Way daily. Belong to Dahlan Iskan, one of the most prominent media tycoons in Indonesia. He was also a former minister of state enterprise of Indonesia, businessman, and the ex CEO of the state electrical company and former boss of Jawa Pos group.
I am interested in the media tagline, saying that they are not newspapers. Yet, it is still daily. I am curious to know what’s behind the idea. I must know. If not, it will kill me. Then, the problem arose when I knew that the date and time were the same, July 4th, at 19.00 Indonesia time (WIB). Duaaarrrr!
I gasped. My mind just blinked. Ooppss, I have another precious event that I couldn’t leave. It’s all about education. I will be one of the speakers. There will be ten participating speakers from around the globe (Malaysia, India, the Philippine, Pakistan, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Nigeria.
Hence, I thought I could not leave the event. This plan is substantial as I will deliver my thought on how to present a new material virtually before the students amid the outbreak of the COVID-19. I will be standing with a group of global educational thinkers and practitioners discussing the elements that all educators need to prepare in a continually changing world.
More importantly, the schedule will be my first international webinar. It will be precious for all parties. So, I must be there. But how about my media talk show?
Can you imagine how difficult the situation is? Can you feel my confusion? These two fields, education and media, are two things that I have been doing for years and many years to come in the future. They already shaped my identity up to this point.
As a speaker, I will express my ideas on how to solve the current problems faced by education, in particular online learning and teaching. On the other hand, I need to listen to the maestro of Indonesian journalistic. It is a difficult situation.
The situation is getting harder and “hotter” ooppsss, sorry “spicy” as I typed this article, I was having my “racing noodle” breakfast. Hahaha. As a result, I must quickly think. This state might have an association with the “spicy” taste from the noodle ingredients. Perhaps.
And the spicy tastes keeps haunting me. Soon, I need to find a solution. Some had crossed my mind. But first, I want to ask my readers’ opinions. What should I do? For that, please write your suggestions in the comment columns of this newsletter.
I am waiting for your answer.