Tarnedi: Please Talk In English

People should be ashamed of themselves for not trying to learn. They might say it is not relevant to their needs, or it is too late, too old to learn, or laugh at people who try. This one person boldly tries his best, despite people despising him. He might not come from an educated background, but he has the will. I put my hat off, saluting him. He’s a living example of a person who will have the ability to live in the future.

Living as a Tarnedi (54) is not easy. He's been trying hard to speak English with his colleagues, friends, and family. But none has been handful. He might not graduated from elementary school, but his will to learn English is remarkable. He didn't give up to his colleagues and friend. Instead, he put this sign on the driver's headrest in the taxi he drives everyday which says:

"TO ALL PASSANGERS PLEASE TALK IN ENGLISH BECAUSE I WANT TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH. IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH IT DOESN'T MATTER. THANK YOU."

His passengers responded positively. They spoke in English with him, improving his English skills. Even one passenger gave him a dictionary to help him with his difficulties.

"They think I'm crazy by speaking English, " he told. He said that people should be the ones who learn Bahasa. "That is true, but we must not stand behind them."

"We don't want to leave our culture, but we can't leave behind, so good we learn together," Tarnedi said, diplomatically.

source: http://news.detik.com/read/2013/12/11/185957/2439356/10/2/lika-liku-tarnedi-speaking-english-disebut-sok-tahu-hingga-orang-gila