Who is Mr. Ali?
Well, Mr. Ali is originally from Libya who take his PhD in Brawijaya University. He finished his Master Degree in Scotland, specifically in Glasgow University. He is very humble. I knew him since we became the delegate for the ABEST21 program in our University, Brawijaya University. We talked a lot after the final of ABEST21 event. I found that he has lots of amazing information, amazing experience that I think, I must share it to you. I was in awe since I learnt a lot from him.
Started from food, he said about a Tuna can that is lip-smacking. "Sun Tuna", that's the name of the brand. Make sure you have an original one, the one with olive oil inside. He said it. He also said about the culture in Libya. Libyan really like to fish since their land is surrounded by the mediteranian fish, so that's why they love to eat fish. It has its own taste like salty not muddy. Lol. Make sure to eat gurame and tuna! Sea gurame, not gurame from the river! Lol
Anyway, he is a brilliant businessman. He told us that he has a business of Tuna. He imported lots of Tuna from Indonesia, put it in Containers and add some of he oil to make it as a can tuna (if I'm not mistaken). He said his children really like to eat Tuna too. Just simply just tuna mixed with olive fruit or olive oil and put it on the bread.
He talk a lot about olive too. To be honest, I never eat olive fruit. They said it's a sour kinda fruit, yet if you eat one, you have to make sure that it is a solid one. It is because sometimes, the more sour the taste, it means that it's been expired. It's because Neira, one of the undergeduate student told us her experience on eating a very sour olive fruit. Apparently, she ate a soft texture of olive fruit, in which, presumably it was out of the date/expired. Mrs. Grisda who was involved in our group of chats also told me about his experience in eating olive. She had stomachache, and Mr. Ali said, perhaps she ate a food which already been mixed with vinegar to create a balance taste in food. I was amazed by his knowledge about food.
Oh yaaah, he also told us about several sunnah as well as tradition in Libya. For a new born baby, they must be showered by the olive oil for a week in strict. It's useful to keep the immune system for the baby. And also to make the eat a kurma for the first time. The way to make the baby eat the kurma just by take out the skin of kurma and poke a flavor of kurma in our thumb, put that thumb into the baby's mouth and let them suck our thumb with the kurma essence on it like they suck their pacifier. They believe that it can get rid off all the disease in the throat such as tonsils. He said it is a part of a hadith. After I dig some information, I found out the method for the baby with kurma is called as "Tahnik". So far, he put lots of new knowledge in my brain storage. hehe.
He also said that Rice is just being their main food for the past 10 years. Usually, their main foods was pasta and bread, "so that's why I'm fat" he said jokingly. The taste of food in Indonesia, India, Malaysia and his country, Libya, are also quite similar.
One more thing, he said to us, that one of the interesting part that he loves about Indonesia is the freedom of every household to open a home-business "I mean, every neighbors has their business, and in fact they have similar business and it's okay. While in Libya, it's hard to open it due to the policies and other stuffs". So, be grateful for being an Indonesian to have open access to do lots of small business since the government truly foster and support you.
He also said, he ever gallivanted around Batu, and see he farmers who truly work so hard in order to generate lots of good quality of rice. So, we suppose to appreciate our food. About the export and import, it's so sad to see lots of product in Indonesia mostly were imported while in fact we supposed to export. He was surprised by the fact of Indomie is the product from Indonesia. He thought it was from Taiwan since it's a noodle. Hahaa. He hoped not only Indomie that will be the exported products from Indonesia. We must urge our products to be exported, but most importantly to fulfill the needs of Indonesian first.
Oh my God, I write in a messy and unstructurized mode since I just write whatrver he said before it all of the memory evaoorate from my mind. Lol.
After that, what else?
Oh yeaaaahhh, he makes me think the importance to study big data and he invited me to join many programs or seminar related to big data! Of course, I'd love it! I hope I can have another moment to talk with him again since it's such an honor to hear lots of stories, knowledge and insights from a lecturer back in his country.
Last but not least, related to the university and learning method between Scotland in Indonesia. He said that there was no big differences. The kearning method was similar however in terms of publication and also or research, if we make it more up to date and develop it to a new level, then everything will be alright. In terms of facilities, well, he said it's almost similar. He think that in developing countries, what he has exoerienced in UB is beyond his expectation. In terms of facilities, services and others. He thinks that the more important thing is the innovation that's always been done, the process to change be a better university is the important one, and it's been done by our university and perhaps by universities in Indonesia. He believes that Indonesia has a better education system, if he has to compare it with other developing countries. So, why did he choose UB? Because he wanted to study everywhere and learn lots of culture.
From that moment, I learnt that as Indonesian, I put the prestige to study when I can go abroad most of the time, yet from that conversation, I learnt that you can take your higher degree in your ownn country. The system might slightly different, but the way that can make you develop your own knowledge is your effort to learn, especially with the help of technology which can make your learning process to be easier. Indonesia also has lots of easy access by the government, the point is about how we take the advantage of these easy accesses provided by them, such as ease of doing business. Furthermore, the culture that sometimes we forget. The farmer has been worked so hard but sometimes we don't appreciate it by not eat the rice. Our culture is what attracted lots of people to come into our place. It makes me want to learn about playing a traditional music instrument or traditional dance yet I don't know if that desire is truly drive to make it come true. haha. Let's see! ;D
All the best for ABEST21 for Brawijaya University.
All the best for ABEST21 for Brawijaya University.
Wish you all have a great weekend!
Nessy notes.
September 23, 2019.
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| All the delegates and Mr. Reviewer. From right to left, Mr. Ali, me, Farhan, Daleneira, Wahyu From Right to Left: I forget her name, Dear, Dina, I forget, Mr. Eric, Mr. Reviewer (From Malaysia) Pardon my mind who easily forget about name of a person. hehe. |
