8 Facts of TBBE 2013

Well, voting of The Big Blog Exchange (TBBE) has now closed. What a great chance for me to be Top 100 most voted finalists on this awesome contest. I would say tons of thanks for you who set aside time to vote me. From this moment, I learned that begging votes is one of hardest part of life, LOL.  

Top 100 Finalists of TBBE 2013. Check them on http://www.bigblogexchange.org/index

Then, what makes me happy is about no more assignment (for this week) on my lecture activity. Yeey *dancing*. To celebrate this unusual freedom, here they are the facts that I embrance from the first part of getting Top 100 finalists on TBBE 2013.

1. Total participant is 1173 bloggers in all over the world
2. Most voted blogger with the total votes 2202 is Rupesh Nandy form India (Congrats Sir!).
3. There are 27 countries entering Top 100 Finalists (see tabel below)

	Region	Country	Number*
1.	America	Brazil	10
2	America	United States	7
3	America	Canada	6
4	America	Argentina	2
5	Europe	Hungary	6
6	Europe	Spain	5
7	Europe	France	4
8	Europe	Belgium	2
9	Europe	United Kingdom	2
10	Europe	Netherland	1
11	Europe	Ireland	1
12	Europe	Slovenia	1
13	Europe	Czech Republic	1
14	Europe	Switzerland	1
15	Europe	Iceland	1
16	Asia Pacific	Indonesia	12
17	Asia Pacific	Philippines	5
18	Asia Pacific	India	2
19	Asia Pacific	Malaysia	2
20	Asia Pacific	Singapore	2
21	Asia Pacific	New Zealand	1
22	Asia Pacific	Thailand	1
23	Africa - Middle East	South Africa	20
24	Africa - Middle East	Israel	2
25	Africa - Middle East	Morocco	1
26	Africa - Middle East	Egypt	1
27	Africa - Middle East	Nigeria	1

*Number of bloggers entering TOP 100 in each country

       4.       South Africa is country with most bloggers get into TOP 100 (20 bloggers), Indonesia (12 bloggers) and  Brazil (10 bloggers).

      5.       Most variated region which its countries get into TOP 100 is Europe with the total of 11 countries

      6.       Most competed region based on number of votes is Asia Pacific (the participants whom are in Top 25 region ranged 1^st– 50^th on world rank) | America 3-95 ; Europe 2-115 ; Africa 8-255

      7.       Youngest participants are Dominika Lakomá (Czech Republic, 18), Federico Bongiorno (Argentina, 19), and Mohammad Yusuf (Indonesia, 20) <-- it’s me, wow!

      8.       Oldest participants are Pilar Brun (Spain, 56), Desmond Langkilde (South Africa, 54) and Jefferson José Severino (Brazil, 53). *standing ovation, appreciating their spirit. Thumbs up!*

To become truly great, we have to stand with other people, not above them.
From this occasion, I would love to say, 

"Hello Here I am Yusuf from Indonesia. Nice to know you, the awe-inspiring bloggers. My friend, my sister and brother, even my mom and dad."  

Greetings ;)

Vote Me on Big Blog Exchange 2013

Akhir-akhir ini mungkin diantara kalian banyak yang merasa annoying atau terganggu dengan sikap gue. Mesej sana mesej sini, twit sana twit sini demi sebuah ‘vote’.

Big Blog Exchange, apaan sih? Ya, program ini adalah kompetisi blog internasional untuk bertukar pikiran baik kebudayaan, cerita tentang perjalanan, sesuatu yang menginspirasi dan sebagainya antar sesama blogger sedunia.

Tahapannya, pertama menjaring Top 25 dari masing-masing Regional (Asia Pasifik, Amerika, Eropa, dan Afrika-Timur Tengah) yang dinilai berdasarkan jumlah vote. Nah, makanya untuk lolos tahap awal ini gue membutuhkan banyak sekali vote, karena regional Asia Pasifik ialah yang paling ketat dalam hal jumlah voting diantara regional yang lain. Setelah terpilih Top 100 dunia (4 x Top 25 regional), saatnya blog kita dinilai oleh panitia penyelenggara. Setelah itu dipilihlah 16 blogger yang beruntung sebagai pemenang kompetisi ini dengan hadiah mengikuti ‘exchange program’ ke Negara yang belum ditentukan (alias masih ghoib :D). Seru banget kan.

Melalui proses melelahkan ini, gue belajar banyak hal. Pertama, ‘konsep’ perjuangan yang terlihat abstrak namun nyata. Ngemis vote melalui mesej facebook dan memanfaatkan teman-teman yang sedang ‘online’ untuk segera direspon. Jawabannya bervariasi. Ada yang langsung oke, alright, siap, sip, ada yang masih nanya apaan tuh, bahkan ada yang sempet menganggap ini hanya spam belaka. Oh God, ga mudah ya menjaring vote begini. Satu lagi, ga sedikit diantara mereka yang hanya melihat semata tanpa berkomentar apapun, fine itu hak mereka :) 

Kedua, gue belajar tentang arti menghargai dan enaknya punya banyak kolega. Yang gue seneng adalah ga cuma temen-temen gue yang kooperatif, tapi adik kelas SMA, junior, akang teteh senior bahkan guru gue-pun dengan menyenangkannya turut berpartisipasi menyisihkan sebagian waktunya untuk mem-vote gue, sungguh luar biasa. Yang perlu digarisbawahi adalah ini kali pertama gue mengikuti kompetisi yang mengharuskan vote memvote dalam tahapannya. Sudah barang pasti urat malu gue harus dipertebal demi promosi yang gencar dan rela mengirimkan mesej/chat kepada semua teman fb walaupun lo gatau itu siapa. 

Oiya, ga semua orang yang menurut lo baik itu bakalan ikut senang atau memberikan sumbangsihnya terhadap kesuksesan lo. Orang yang kesehariannya jutek dan garang pun ga segan bilang Oke atau Siap kala gue memintanya untuk vote. Sungguh merupakan suatu keajaiban. Yang ada di pikiran gue ialah ‘ah palingan seen doang’. Alhasil dapetlah satu vote yang cukup berarti. hehee.

Per 8 April 2013 16.00 WIB, jumlah vote gue sudah mencapai 209 dan itu jauh diluar dugaan gue. Bercokol di perigkat 54 dunia dan masuk Top 19 regional Asia Pasifik. Alhamdulillah, Puji Tuhan terimakasih para voter. Tapi oh tapi itu masih sementara. Voting akan ditutup pada 15 April mendatang. Jadi posisi gue masih bisa terancam keluar dari zona aman.

Gimana? Sedih ga baca cerita gue. Hiks. Yang belum vote dan akhirnya berempati turut merasakan penderitaan gue mencari sesuap vote (elaah) selama ini, yuk bantu vote disini.

Caranya :

Klik link ini. Ketikkan email kamu (lebih dari 1 dipersilahkan ya). Klik submit. Lalu konfirmasi dengan meng-klik link di inbox email kamu.

Gaada kata yang bisa gue ucapin selain terimakasih dan tentunya didoakan semoga kuliah/sekolahnya lancar serta didekatkan jodohnya. Hahaa Amin Ya Robbal Alamin.

Youth Empowerment: It’s a must!

 The unemployment rate among Indonesian youth is alarming. From the results of data collection conducted by Central Statistics Agency (BPS), productive age group of the unemployment rate reached 6.32 % or about 7.61 million people by May 2012. Among the Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia ranked as the seventh most unemployed people.

            If there is no appropriate measures immediately, the unemployment rate will continue to rise and will be a source of social problems in the community. Criminal index and sexual abuse are likely to increase quickly unless some brilliant ideas occur to resolve these crucial problems. Mentally, young people are still relatively unstable. Therefore, not a few bad things happened to them as a form of outlet for their powerlessness.

            One important thing is how to keep the young generations empowered as our focus. According to Ministry of Youth, there are many programs in the areas of youth empowerment. This is clear evidence that the government intends on ensuring that young generations can continue to struggle despite it couldn’t be disseminated evenly.

            I also believe if ‘almost everything that is great has been done by the youth’. Instead, Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia ever stated something referring to youth as well. He said, “Give me ten youth, surely I changed the world”. Those words are credibly demonstrating the powerful of us as adolescence. For example, dealing with social media expansion, most of them were created when the founder was still nineteen. Something that’s simple but able to connect the world and ease to spread information. That’s why; young people extremely have to be empowered earlier.

Youth is the source of brilliant ideas happened
Photo by http://blog.eerlings..com

            One of thing should be developed is invigorate the creative economy as youth assessed tend to have the ‘wild’ mindset or somebody says ‘out of the box’. Through youth entrepreneurship development, provide more scholarships or bursaries for continuing their study or perhaps build the youth development center to organize and collect any related information for young people. It probably stimulates them to work within their capabilities and high willing.

            Youth, is the cornerstone of the world future existence. Youth, is the source of brilliant ideas happened. If they look commonly encountered, what will come into being at some eventual time in the future?