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COMMEMORATING THE 60/20 ANNIVERSARY 118
PART 2 While studying in Texas, what was most Selama belajar di Texas, peristiwa apa yang
memorable to her? “One afternoon, in front of a menurutnya paling mengesankan? “Pada suatu siang,
bank, not far from the campus, I found a woman di depan sebuah bank, tak jauh dari kampus saya
in tears. Apparently, she was from Indonesia. She menemukan seorang ibu menangis. Ternyata ibu
did not know how to get back to her apartment, itu berasal dari Indonesia. Ia tidak tahu bagaimana
and did not dare ask, even though the apartment cara kembali ke apartemennya, dan tidak berani
was only 500 meters from where she stood,†said bertanya. Padahal apartemennya hanya 500 meter
Tuti. This shocking experience made her realize dari tempatnya berdiri,†cerita Tuti. Pengalaman yang
that many Indonesian people are not prepared mengejutkan ini membuatnya sadar bahwa banyak
to live in another country because they lack orang Indonesia tidak siap hidup di negara lain
mastery of the language. “Fulbright scholarship karena kurang menguasai bahasa. “Para penerima
recipients are, of course, selected so that they beasiswa Fulbright tentu disaring benar-benar agar
will not experience anything like that,†she said. tidak mengalami hal seperti itu,†katanya.
When Tuti went to Huntsville, she felt that the Ketika Tuti berangkat ke Huntsville, dirasakan
exchange of scholars in the field of law was pertukaran sarjana di bidang hukum masih sangat
still very rare. “Most people sent to Texas were jarang. “Kebanyakan yang dikirim ke Texas adalah
agricultural extension candidates. Among them para calon penyuluh pertanian. Di antara mereka
were many who did not have very good English. banyak yang kurang kuat bahasa Inggrisnya. Mungkin
Perhaps because their daily work was in the karena pekerjaan sehari-harinya ada di pedesaan,â€
countryside,†she said. katanya.
The greatest lesson Tuti learned by going Hikmah paling besar yang dirasakan Tuti dengan
to America was to live independently. Her pergi ke Amerika adalah belajar hidup mandiri.
departure to Texas with a Fulbright scholarship Kepergiannya ke Texas dengan beasiswa Fulbright
was her first trip abroad. She still remembers adalah perjalanannya pertama kali ke luar negeri.
that on the last night before her departure, Ia masih ingat, pada malam terakhir menjelang
she asked to be taught how to fry an egg. “For keberangkatannya, Tuti minta diajari cara
the first time, my maid taught me to make an menggoreng telur. “Untuk pertama kalinya, saya
egg sunny-side up,†she said. But after living diajari nyeplok telur oleh pembantu saya,†katanya.
in America, Tuti was used to doing things for Tetapi setelah berada di Amerika, Tuti terbiasa
herself, such as washing, cooking, and shopping. mengerjakan semua hal sendiri seperti misalnya
mencuci, memasak, dan berbelanja.
In Indonesia, things like this were guaranteed to
be taken care of by her family. “But it can also be Di Indonesia, hal itu sudah dijamin beres oleh
the other way around. When I became a student keluarganya. “Tapi ada juga yang terbalik. Ketika
in America, I got my own office with telephone menjadi mahasiswa, di Amerika saya mendapat ruang
and Internet facilities. When I returned home kerja sendiri dengan fasilitas telpon dan internet.
and was appointed assistant dean, my office Ketika pulang dan diangkat menjadi pembantu
was small and shared with the lecturers. Never dekan, ruang kerja saya kecil dan itu pun dipakai
mind Internet facilities, there wasn’t even a beramai-ramai dengan para dosen. Jangankan fasilitas
telephone,†she said. internet, pesawat telpon pun tidak ada,†katanya.
1985 - 1986, Sam Houston State University; Criminal Law. 1985 - 1986, Universitas Sam Houston State; Hukum Pidana.
