Salah satu alasan kenapa kami memutuskan untuk pindah domisili adalah pendidikan anak. Ya, betul. Mencari lingkungan yang lebih kondusif untuk pendidikan karakter, setidaknya semaksimal yang kami mampu dalam keterbatasan kami. Yes, keterbatasan dalam pengetahuan, pengalaman, penguasaan informasi, juga kondisi finansial.
Di negeri ini, pendidikan dasar dan menengah di sekolah umum gratis, namun kualitas diragukan sebagian orang sehingga yang punya kelebihan uang akan memasukkan anaknya ke sekolah swasta.
Biaya untuk kuliah sangat mahal dibandingkan dengan negara maju lainnya. Imbasnya pilihan untuk melanjutkan ke pendidikan tinggi banyak ditinggalkan karena urusan perut lebih prioritas.
Solusinya gampang. Hutang untuk kuliah. Yes, student loan. Secara hitungan, pemerintah Amerika menamakan hutang ini sebagai investasi, namun banyak juga yang menjelang usia senja terpaksa masih menanggung student loan.
Dalam laporan keuangan mereka student loan ini dianggap sebagai aset.
Entah sejak kapan definisi pendidikan menyempit menjadi sebuah gelar yang diperoleh dari sekolah formal dan lembaran ijazah itu tidak menjamin tingkat keahlian seseorang dalam bertahan berjaya dalam kehidupan (dunia)nya. Dan yah, kesempatan untuk menunut ilmu secara terjangkau dan berkualitas nampaknya akan semakin terbuka tanpa ada sekat-sekat wilayah dan bahasa.
Ada masa dimana orang berjalan kaki ribuan kilometer hanya untuk menjadi murid seorang yg berilmu. Apprenticeship. Belajar langsung kepada aslinya dan silsilah penurunan ilmu itu jelas. Model menimba ilmu seperti ini pun sudah berlangsung selama ribuan tahun sebelum sekolah formal mengambil alih makna pendidikan.
Ibu rumah tangga, madrasah keluarga. Mengasah kemampuan anak sesuai dengan bakatnya. Ilmu dan keterampilan yang tidak dikuasai oleh orang tuanya bisa dipelajari dari ahlinya. Saya rasa itu fungsi sekolah, karena para pengajar ya seharusnya punya kualitas untuk memberikan keilmuan dan keterampilan yang diturunkan kepada murid2nya. Bila fungsi ini hilang dan sekolah berubah jadi wahana mendulang uang yang menjual gengsi dan ijazah atau tempat penitipan anak, maka terlalu berharga rasanya bila anak-anak diceburkan dalam tempat seperti ini.
Mungkin akan datang masa dimana anak-anak kami akan berguru langsung pada ahli-ahli di bidangnya, level keilmuan dimana kami sebagai orangtua tidak menguasainya.... sehingga mereka kelak menjadi value creator dan problem solver yang sigap mengambil tindakan, bukan sosok yang mudah berkeluh kesah menyalahkan lingkungan.
Mungkin akan datang masa dimana anak-anak kami akan berguru langsung pada ahli-ahli di bidangnya, level keilmuan dimana kami sebagai orangtua tidak menguasainya.... sehingga mereka kelak menjadi value creator dan problem solver yang sigap mengambil tindakan, bukan sosok yang mudah berkeluh kesah menyalahkan lingkungan.
Anak-anak kami namanya diawali dengan huruf E. Tidak ada yg kebetulan, katanya. Saya pernah membaca tentang kriteria potensi yang berkembang itu sikenal dengan 4E : Easy, Enjoy, excellent, earn.
Saya juga pernah bertemu langsung dengan keluarga yang sukses mendidik dan mengarahkan anak-anaknya sesuai dengan kriteria 4E di atas. Mereka sudah "earn" sesuatu dari bidang yang digelutinya.
Disini kami mulai memetakan bidang apa yang sesuai untuk didalami oleh jiwa2 yang dititipkan pemiliknya kepada kami.
Suatu keahlian yang mudah dan menyenangkan bagi mereka, dikuasai hingga predikat ahli, dan dengan itu bisa menghasilkan, "earn", baik materiil ataupun kepuasan non-materiil.
Tugas kami adalah mengarahkan mereka dan menunjukkan koridor yang halal dan diridhai saat menjalaninya. Tantangan yang akan mereka hadapi pada masanya tentunya akan berbeda dengan yang kami alami saat ini.
Dalam bayangan saya, sekat geografis akan makin menipis sehingga lebih banyak orang yang bisa memperoleh rejeki dari berbagai negeri sesuai dengan keahliannya. Orang akan lebih bebas memilih dimana akan tinggal dan menikmati hidupnya tanpa harus terkonsentrasi di suatu wilayah dengan kualitas hidup kurang layak hanya karena di situlah Roda ekonomi lebih kencang berputar. DI california ada beberapa pilihan untuk pendidikan dasar dan meniengah, termasuk homeschool. Informasinya bisa dibaca di sini : http://www.hsc.org/homeschoolinghelp/brief-legal-information.html
Jadi sebenarnya, kantor tempat kerja akan pindah lokasi. Posisi lebih strategis dekat ke bandara dan pusat finansial di Orange County. Biarpun sudah tahu wacana pindah lokasi ini, saya tetap kaget karena rencana ini akan direalisasikan tahun ini, lebih cepat setahun dari rencana awal. Berhubung si anak sulung sudah masuk usia sekolah tahun depan dan saat ini homeschooling belum kami jadikan pilihan, maka masa berburu school district menyapa kami lebih cepat.
Pertimbangannya adalah kemanana dan kemyamanan. Tidak semua wilayah ramah terhadap orang asia. Pertimbangan tempat tinggal pun jadi lebih penting lagi. Ada beberapa kota yang komposisi etnisnya cukup beragam sehingga aman. Namun pertimbangan berikutnya ialah rak dari kantor baru. Irvine bisa djadikan pilihan karena setengah penduduknya adalah orang asia, namun kota ini sedang mengalami bubble, harga sewa apartemennya bisa bikin sesak napas.
Irvine juga menjadi kota paling aman se-Amerika. hmm, bisa jadi karena wilayah baru yang berkembang cukup cepat dan harag property yang tinggi menyebabkan orang kelas tertentu saja yang bisa tingga di sini. Orang item dan etnis hispanik jangan terlalu harap betah di sini. Beberapa sumber juga menyebutkan bahwa kota ini terlalu asia (baca : Ch*na), karena OKB dari sebrang pasifik rajin investasi dengan membeli rumah dengan cash! wow, cerita serupa pernah saya dengar saat masih kuliah dulu, orang dari negeriini mau beli vila milik mantan perdana menteri Jepang.
Saat tulisan ini ditulis, kami masih menunggu beberapa variable lain untuk dijadikan pertimbangan. Teman di kantor bilang, dia tidak betah tinggal di Irvine karena oemandangan yang monotn (setiap perempatan mirip, awas tersesat!), ada juga beberapa alas an lain yang agak terdengar rasis karena ada etnis mayoritas yang membuat suasana kurang nyaman (bahkan bagi orang kulit putih).
Ini salah satu tulisan di forum diskusi tentang Irvine :
Facts- My wife and I have concluded that it is very difficult to Make REAL Friends in Irvine, California. There is too much cultural diversity and Financial Stress. We don't even know our neighbors. We have tried to introduce ourselves or invite them to dinner but they are too busy for us. It seems like most people you meet here are trying to sell you something and are not interested in getting to know you first. It's very EXPENSIVE to live in California and most people are just trying to survive and become self-absorbed with money first/friendship mentality.
No matter how much money you make in California, it seems that your bank account is very low. We make over six figures a year and we almost went into debt trying to keep up with the California "Lifestyle". We recently had an AH-HA Moment-Life is not all about how much money you make, it's about making REAL FRIENDSHIPS and helping others. Most people in Irvine, Ca. are too self-absorbed/selfish. Showing off and driving German/Japanese Sports Cars BMW's Mercedes Lexus and keeping up with the Jones's.
#1 A majority %85 of Californians are on some kind of legal or illegal mind-altering drugs due to FINANCIAL STRESS. They are either pill poppers vicodin, oxy or pot heads or coke heads. It blew us away how many "normal" Californian's hide their drug addictions.
#2 You waste a lot of time driving your car getting around, nothing is close by. Wanna go to the Irvine Spectrum? Good luck finding parking. Would you like to wait one hour plus to eat your dinner? How about sitting next to someone that doesn't speak English? It happens all of the time in Irvine, Ca.
#3 Unless you own your own business or have highly specialized skills forget about working for a job in Irvine, Ca. California has one of the Highest Unemployment Rates in the US.
#4 California is #1 on the 10 states in the worst financial health and highest financially stressed residents according to the Pew Center on the States. #1 being the worst.
#5 Since 90% of California residents are stressed, they have the Dog eat Dog mentality, which makes them some of the most Rude, Unfriendly, Flakey, Materialistic, Stressed out/Fake people ever seen in one area.
#6 Californians are not interested in being involved in a true community. Money First-Friendship Last mentality. Californians are too worried about their finances and too high on their drugs to care about you. Money First/Friendship Last State.
#7 Horrible place to raise a Family due to Bad Influences. 2 out of 3 high school students use drugs. California has a 75.54% DIVORCE RATE one of the highest in the USA.
#8 Too much cultural diversity/diversity sucks. Thousand of foreigners/immigrants from screwed up countries that don’t care to assimilate into US culture or speak English. Most immigrants are in California to milk the socialist liberal system and to make as much money as they can, wire it back home and eventually leave California.
#9 Highest taxes in the USA and HIGHEST FINANCIAL STRESS .
#10 Everything is Super-Expensive/No value for your money. Costly Housing, real estate taxes, expensive food ($3.50 for an Iced Tea!) and highest gas prices because State of California taxes the crap out of everything they can get their greedy hands on!
#11 If you’re not earning at least $160,000/year in California you are eternally forced to rent a small/expensive crappy apartment from rich foreign landlords.
#12 Over 23% of homeowners are underwater on their homes, Foreclosures Everywhere.
#13 A nasty over-crowded Suburban Sprawl nightmare with insane traffic jams.
#14 Worst state to own a business since it’s an Anti-business environment with tons of Red Tape and stupid regulations. Thousands of good companies have left California for better Pro-Business States due to excessive taxes and endless fees.
#15 California has largest “lawsuit climate” meaning every idiot who thinks you are rich is going to try to sue you for money. Scum bag lawyers love California.
#16 California is Broke for $25 Billion. Governor Brown will find a way to get your hard earned money by raising taxes/fees.
#17 California has many corrupt mafia style unions (teachers, police, firefighters) that control California’s government/economy via lobbyists. They suck all of the state's tax dollars dry. Union Fire Fighters can make more than a Doctor with their over-time pay!
#18 Since California has so many illegals, they help their fellow Illegal immigrants to take advantage of every stupid Liberal Law such as the illegal/unfair Dream Act.
#19 California rewards those who are lazy with their welfare system which stinks(20% of LA County Residents get public aid welfare!)
#20 1 of 3 Californians has NO HEALTH INSURANCE
#21 California is home to millions of scary Liberals.
#22 California has the worst gun laws in the US/weakest 2nd Amendment Rights almost impossible to get a CCW unless you are a corrupt cop/prison guard(criminals don’t need licenses or waste money on stupid CA fees to get guns in California!).Criminals have access to all kinds of illegal cheaper guns while the honest, law-abiding California residents cannot have access to guns to protect their families. Think about it, in California, if some violent criminal breaks into your house and murders your Family, he will just get life in prison which is a slap on the wrist joke. If you shoot and kill this criminal his family will turn around and sue you for millions and probably win 70% of the time.
#23 If you're single it is an extremely difficult environment to find a suitable mate/Partner due to high transient levels. People are always moving to and from California.
#24 The Irvine Police care more about writing you a revenue generating traffic ticket that protecting you from criminals,
#25 California has the Third Highest Income Tax Rate in the US.
#26 Earthquakes and Fires.
#27 Dirtiest Air Pollution in the USA. Stinks like crap and you’re breathing it in everyday in Ca
#28 Anti-Business Liberal minded state run by a corrupt career politician Jerry Brown who screwed up BIG TIME back in 1983. The idiotic liberal majority in California voted failure Jerry Brown back into office again for another round of anti-business punishment!
#29 California prisons are a JOKE and career criminals love it. Prisoners don’t have to work. They can get their college degrees, watch cable and buy drugs/cell phones from corrupt prison guards.
#30 If you get Divorced in California and you make more money than your Spouse in California, the California Divorce Courts will take 50% of your assets plus a large monthly alimony for many years.
If you are a Super Rich Flaming Liberal or part of a tight knit immigrant community, then Irvine, California is for you!"
Jadi sebenarnya, kantor tempat kerja akan pindah lokasi. Posisi lebih strategis dekat ke bandara dan pusat finansial di Orange County. Biarpun sudah tahu wacana pindah lokasi ini, saya tetap kaget karena rencana ini akan direalisasikan tahun ini, lebih cepat setahun dari rencana awal. Berhubung si anak sulung sudah masuk usia sekolah tahun depan dan saat ini homeschooling belum kami jadikan pilihan, maka masa berburu school district menyapa kami lebih cepat.
Pertimbangannya adalah kemanana dan kemyamanan. Tidak semua wilayah ramah terhadap orang asia. Pertimbangan tempat tinggal pun jadi lebih penting lagi. Ada beberapa kota yang komposisi etnisnya cukup beragam sehingga aman. Namun pertimbangan berikutnya ialah rak dari kantor baru. Irvine bisa djadikan pilihan karena setengah penduduknya adalah orang asia, namun kota ini sedang mengalami bubble, harga sewa apartemennya bisa bikin sesak napas.
Irvine juga menjadi kota paling aman se-Amerika. hmm, bisa jadi karena wilayah baru yang berkembang cukup cepat dan harag property yang tinggi menyebabkan orang kelas tertentu saja yang bisa tingga di sini. Orang item dan etnis hispanik jangan terlalu harap betah di sini. Beberapa sumber juga menyebutkan bahwa kota ini terlalu asia (baca : Ch*na), karena OKB dari sebrang pasifik rajin investasi dengan membeli rumah dengan cash! wow, cerita serupa pernah saya dengar saat masih kuliah dulu, orang dari negeriini mau beli vila milik mantan perdana menteri Jepang.
Saat tulisan ini ditulis, kami masih menunggu beberapa variable lain untuk dijadikan pertimbangan. Teman di kantor bilang, dia tidak betah tinggal di Irvine karena oemandangan yang monotn (setiap perempatan mirip, awas tersesat!), ada juga beberapa alas an lain yang agak terdengar rasis karena ada etnis mayoritas yang membuat suasana kurang nyaman (bahkan bagi orang kulit putih).
Ini salah satu tulisan di forum diskusi tentang Irvine :
Facts- My wife and I have concluded that it is very difficult to Make REAL Friends in Irvine, California. There is too much cultural diversity and Financial Stress. We don't even know our neighbors. We have tried to introduce ourselves or invite them to dinner but they are too busy for us. It seems like most people you meet here are trying to sell you something and are not interested in getting to know you first. It's very EXPENSIVE to live in California and most people are just trying to survive and become self-absorbed with money first/friendship mentality.
No matter how much money you make in California, it seems that your bank account is very low. We make over six figures a year and we almost went into debt trying to keep up with the California "Lifestyle". We recently had an AH-HA Moment-Life is not all about how much money you make, it's about making REAL FRIENDSHIPS and helping others. Most people in Irvine, Ca. are too self-absorbed/selfish. Showing off and driving German/Japanese Sports Cars BMW's Mercedes Lexus and keeping up with the Jones's.
#1 A majority %85 of Californians are on some kind of legal or illegal mind-altering drugs due to FINANCIAL STRESS. They are either pill poppers vicodin, oxy or pot heads or coke heads. It blew us away how many "normal" Californian's hide their drug addictions.
#2 You waste a lot of time driving your car getting around, nothing is close by. Wanna go to the Irvine Spectrum? Good luck finding parking. Would you like to wait one hour plus to eat your dinner? How about sitting next to someone that doesn't speak English? It happens all of the time in Irvine, Ca.
#3 Unless you own your own business or have highly specialized skills forget about working for a job in Irvine, Ca. California has one of the Highest Unemployment Rates in the US.
#4 California is #1 on the 10 states in the worst financial health and highest financially stressed residents according to the Pew Center on the States. #1 being the worst.
#5 Since 90% of California residents are stressed, they have the Dog eat Dog mentality, which makes them some of the most Rude, Unfriendly, Flakey, Materialistic, Stressed out/Fake people ever seen in one area.
#6 Californians are not interested in being involved in a true community. Money First-Friendship Last mentality. Californians are too worried about their finances and too high on their drugs to care about you. Money First/Friendship Last State.
#7 Horrible place to raise a Family due to Bad Influences. 2 out of 3 high school students use drugs. California has a 75.54% DIVORCE RATE one of the highest in the USA.
#8 Too much cultural diversity/diversity sucks. Thousand of foreigners/immigrants from screwed up countries that don’t care to assimilate into US culture or speak English. Most immigrants are in California to milk the socialist liberal system and to make as much money as they can, wire it back home and eventually leave California.
#9 Highest taxes in the USA and HIGHEST FINANCIAL STRESS .
#10 Everything is Super-Expensive/No value for your money. Costly Housing, real estate taxes, expensive food ($3.50 for an Iced Tea!) and highest gas prices because State of California taxes the crap out of everything they can get their greedy hands on!
#11 If you’re not earning at least $160,000/year in California you are eternally forced to rent a small/expensive crappy apartment from rich foreign landlords.
#12 Over 23% of homeowners are underwater on their homes, Foreclosures Everywhere.
#13 A nasty over-crowded Suburban Sprawl nightmare with insane traffic jams.
#14 Worst state to own a business since it’s an Anti-business environment with tons of Red Tape and stupid regulations. Thousands of good companies have left California for better Pro-Business States due to excessive taxes and endless fees.
#15 California has largest “lawsuit climate” meaning every idiot who thinks you are rich is going to try to sue you for money. Scum bag lawyers love California.
#16 California is Broke for $25 Billion. Governor Brown will find a way to get your hard earned money by raising taxes/fees.
#17 California has many corrupt mafia style unions (teachers, police, firefighters) that control California’s government/economy via lobbyists. They suck all of the state's tax dollars dry. Union Fire Fighters can make more than a Doctor with their over-time pay!
#18 Since California has so many illegals, they help their fellow Illegal immigrants to take advantage of every stupid Liberal Law such as the illegal/unfair Dream Act.
#19 California rewards those who are lazy with their welfare system which stinks(20% of LA County Residents get public aid welfare!)
#20 1 of 3 Californians has NO HEALTH INSURANCE
#21 California is home to millions of scary Liberals.
#22 California has the worst gun laws in the US/weakest 2nd Amendment Rights almost impossible to get a CCW unless you are a corrupt cop/prison guard(criminals don’t need licenses or waste money on stupid CA fees to get guns in California!).Criminals have access to all kinds of illegal cheaper guns while the honest, law-abiding California residents cannot have access to guns to protect their families. Think about it, in California, if some violent criminal breaks into your house and murders your Family, he will just get life in prison which is a slap on the wrist joke. If you shoot and kill this criminal his family will turn around and sue you for millions and probably win 70% of the time.
#23 If you're single it is an extremely difficult environment to find a suitable mate/Partner due to high transient levels. People are always moving to and from California.
#24 The Irvine Police care more about writing you a revenue generating traffic ticket that protecting you from criminals,
#25 California has the Third Highest Income Tax Rate in the US.
#26 Earthquakes and Fires.
#27 Dirtiest Air Pollution in the USA. Stinks like crap and you’re breathing it in everyday in Ca
#28 Anti-Business Liberal minded state run by a corrupt career politician Jerry Brown who screwed up BIG TIME back in 1983. The idiotic liberal majority in California voted failure Jerry Brown back into office again for another round of anti-business punishment!
#29 California prisons are a JOKE and career criminals love it. Prisoners don’t have to work. They can get their college degrees, watch cable and buy drugs/cell phones from corrupt prison guards.
#30 If you get Divorced in California and you make more money than your Spouse in California, the California Divorce Courts will take 50% of your assets plus a large monthly alimony for many years.
If you are a Super Rich Flaming Liberal or part of a tight knit immigrant community, then Irvine, California is for you!"
ReAD MoRE・・・
