EAP-Final Project

NANCY MATTHEWS ELLIOT THE AMAZING MOTHER

 

         Have you ever heard Thomas Alfa Edison? Sure you have. Have you ever heard Nancy Matthews Elliot name? Many of people never heard it before. Let me introduce you who is she, Nancy is the mother of Thomas Alfa Edison the lamp inventor. In every speech about his mother, Thomas was always delivered his speech with full of honor. Why?? There was an inspirational story with this Nancy who is succeed to gave education for his son who was considered as an idiot in his school.

            Nancy is an educated woman, she was born between January 4, 1808 and January 4, 1810 in New Berlin, Chenango County, New York, United States. When she lived in Vienna, Canada, she wanted to be a teacher, she was accepted in a local school where she met Samuel Edison and they felt in love each other. They married on September 12^th in 1828.

            While in Canada, Nancy blessed with 4 children named Marion Wallace, William Pit, Harriet Ann, and Carlile Snow. In the 1830s, Nancy and Samuel moved to the United States and settled in Milan-Ohio. After moving to Milan, Nancy gave birth to his 5th child named Samuel O.

Life is not as sweet as what we expected. The ordeal came insistently. In 1842, Nancy had to lose his fourth son, Carlile, who was 6 years old. One year later, Samuel O died when he was 3 years old. In 1844, Nancy gave birth to the next daughter, named Eliza. When Nancy was 38 years old, she became pregnant again. This is her last son, Thomas Alfa. On February 11, 1847, Thomas was born. However, the same year when thomas had born, Nancy had to lose Eliza her 3 year old girl.

 In 1854, Samuel took his family to move to Michigan. At the age of 7 years, Nancy sent Al to a local school. Nancy fully aware that it was her duty as a parent to make up their children to be a character, moral, and intelligent. School only assisting. Nancy hope by going to school, Al would gain more knowledge and experience. But, reality is never as sweet as how it expected.

One day, Al who was a bit deaf and dumb in school, back to his home carrying a piece of paper from his teacher. Nancy read the paper, "Tommy, your son, very stupid. We ask you to get him out of school". Nancy was shocked reading the letter, but she soon made unwavering determination, "my son Tommy, not a stupid kid. I will educate and teach him by myself."

Al grown up with only about 3 month in school and the rest he was only home-schooling with his mother as his teacher, Nancy gave her son all of aspect of education, more than how could Al accept in school. Nancy realized that Al really liked to experiment. She also invited Al to make a small laboratory at home. At that time, Al started to improve his ability in science.

“She was so true, so sure of me. I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint” 

(Thomas Alfa Edison)

EAP mid-test Project

Gunongan, A Beautiful Historical Place You Need To Visit When Vacationing In Aceh

Aceh has many kind of tourism destination; historical tourism such as Tsunami museum and Gunongan, cultural tourism such as Rumoh Aceh and Taman Sari, culinary tourism such as Sate Matang and Ayam Penyet Pak Ulis , etc. If you are a kind of people who loves history and a proof of love, you really need to visit Gunongan in Aceh, Gunongan is also well-known as Putro Phang Park, it is located in Banda Aceh city and ease to access. This place has a great beautiful love story with it, it could inspire you in your love life, many people compare this place’s history with Taj Mahal in India which has a similar history.

The building which made of limestone is a gift from the Sultan Iskandar Muda to his beloved wife Princess Phang. There is a saga why did Sultan Iskandar Muda give a gift to the Princess. Let us see the history behind it.

In 1613 and 1615 through invasion of Aceh with 20.000 troops, Sultan Iskandar Muda succeed to conquer the Kingdom of Johor and the Kingdom Pahang in the Malay Northern Peninsula. As was the tradition at that time, the kingdom who lost the war must surrender the booty, tribute and annual taxes. Besides, it was also had to submit the royal princess to be carried off as a sign of submission. The Princess was usually married by the king with the aim to strengthen the brotherhood of the kingdom conquered. So the conquerer kingdom became larger and more powerful.

The conquest of the Kingdom of Johor and the Kingdom Pahang in the Malay Peninsula greatly affect Iskandar Muda. The Princess of Pahang who was very pretty inside out and polished make the Sultan Iskandar Muda fell in love and made her as empress. However, because the Sultan busy taking care of the government. Princess Phang often feel lonely. She was often recalled his hometown, Pahang palace, which was surrounded by hills. For his great love, Sultan Iskandar Muda built a very beautiful park for Princess Phang. The park was also equipped with Gunongan which is a miniature of hill. 

Well, it is clear now. Gunongan is made to cure homesickness of Princess Phang to her hometown which consists of hills in Pahang. And this Gunongan only a small portion of the park, this park is big enough i think.

Of course princess phang was very happy with the gift that given by her beloved husband, what a romantic story... at the first there was a bathing place for princess phang but it is does not exist anymore, there is only a rounded white stone source of the water came which is named as lesung. When i visited this place recently i tried to pass through the gate of gunongan which is very small that made me to bow down my head, it made me to imagine that princess phang was tiny and slim.

By : Syahrul Ihsan

(500 words not including “By : Syahrul Ihsan” )