| Bicycle Taxi, Jakarta, 2019 |
Everybody isn’t perfect. They have their own limitation.
For example, since I was born and raised in Indonesia, a non English speaking country, I know that I have a limitation in writing or speaking in English. English is not our mother language and at this moment, it is not yet our second language.
Therefore, I don’t have a language capability like people born and raised in a country where English is used daily, like Britain, USA, Australia, or even Singapore have.
Definitely no. Also, it is because half of the English knowledge I obtained was only from High School and also two semester when I studied at University of Indonesia majoring in Japan History. The other half was gained by reading English novel or watching movies without Indonesian subtitle.
So, yes, I admitted that I have limited English capability.
But, as you can see, this blog, the Blogopix is written in English, imperfect English. Most of writings here are like written by elementary school in USA, full of simple sentences showing lack of words I remember or my confusion about which tenses to use.
I decided to keep on writing in English, at least for my two blogs. It’s not because I don’t know my weakness, I know it 100%.
However, I found that if I follow my limitation, I will not be able to tell a bit stories about my city, a small city near Jakarta that nobody seems to ever hear . I may not be able to share my opinion to other people except the ones who can speak Indonesian.
I can’t tell to overseas people that Indonesia is not only Bali. There are many other beautiful (or bad) places with their culture and society to foreigner.
I can’t do many other things if I give up to write in English.
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| Bicycle taxi, Jakarta 2019 |
Of course, Google has been so “kind” by providing a translation tool for blogger but, honestly, it’s too far from perfect. I learned that when I write in Indonesian, then use the translation tool, the result is still a bit far from my expectation. Many translation are different from what I mean in my writing.
It’s a good tool but still needs one or two decades of continuous improvement to be able to replace a human translator.
Besides the fact, I learned that by using a translation tool, I will miss a change to extend my boundary, my limit. I will not learn how to write in English properly.
By writing by my own, I have a chance to improve my English skill, bit by bit. It takes time. It takes uncountable mistakes. However, I believe I can move forward to make my writing better.
Still, I don’t think I will be a good English writer but at least, I can present my stories about my experience, my city, my photos, in more proper English.
Most of all extend my limit. I push it away father everytime I write in English.
I will still always be a human with limitation, no doubt. But the boundary today is different from the boundary few years back. I am a bit more capable person than before and expect to become better in next few years.
It won’t happen, if I stop. the current “I” would be the same person as “me” ten years ago and will be the same person ten years from now. No change.
That’s why I will keep trying, moving forward, learning, developing. I want to push my boundary farther and farther day by day since I don’t want my future “me” the same as the current “I” today.
Bogor, May 08th, 2020