Another Facet of Pittsburgh

This is really great. The river is just very wide. Just by looking at this picture nobody may have the notion that this is a river. People may think that this is a seaside. Water skiing is a favourite sport. The background at The Point is just perfect. The mood is always there. Under normal weather the confluence of the two rivers is very conducive to enjoy the water. The current could be too strong for swimming. Nevertheless there is no harm to enjoy it with all the necessary precautions.

The water front is huge. The great Ohio River is simply enormous. River cruise is an attraction to local as well to foreign tourists. It may take hours. Watching the city's skyline. Its very vantage point.

The Point is an attraction by itself. The fountain keeps its life selffulfilling.

Bird's eye view of Pittsburgh. Bridges spanning on the right and left of the city. I could not remember how many of those bridges that I have crossed.

It is summer. The grass is lush green. Full of life. Vibrant with activities.

The citizens are enjoying the sunlight. Only one season. Never the year round. How lucky! Yet we never enjoy the sun. To us, no suntan please. As much as possible we try our best to avoid the sun.

Green everywhere. Flowers blooming. Fountains with cooling water. In summer people become lazy. They go for holidays. Enjoy their lives. This is the moment.

Downtown Pittsburgh. Very lively.

The Cathedral of Learning. A landmark of Pittsburgh. Standing tall, serene, tranquil. Basking in its own serendepity. The place of discovery.

The only theme park in Pittsburgh. Kennhy Park. An hour drive out of town. Throngs of people as early as May. End of Spring. Families spend their moments together. Catching up with each other.

Swing and swing. Around and around. A test of courage. Nerves. Overcoming fear. 

A typical rollercoaster. It may have double or triple loops. The world becomes void.. Upside down. Take control of your life. Such moments drive people crazy. The moment they landed on dear earth everything is back to normal. Fear is just a passing moment. Overcoming it is a never ending process. Of course learning never ends.

The skyline back in 1986. 26 years could have changed the original skyline. New skyscrapers may have replaced some of the older  buildings. Additions may have been made.

Bridges and bridges. Countless of them.

At The Point. Near the fountain. In summer it is full and congested with people seeking outdoor pleasure. Some have gone fishing. Others could be camping. Some gone hiking. A few mountain climbing. Or they may hop from town to town. From county to county. From state to state.

The heart of Pittsburgh seems compact and concentrated. The city itself is fun to traverse. A lot to see and hear. Bargain hunting can be fun also.

The University of Pittsburgh main campus. Notice that The Cathedral of Learning looks tall and commanding. 

The Pitts's stadium. The most popular is American Football. Running from one end  of the field to the other end. Gaining as much touchdowns as possible.

Country life of yesteryears. A replica of a traditional village. 19th century and early 20th century. It is funny. Our tourism industry try to attrack foreign tourists with what we can offer as a modern living. On the other hand tourists are seeking the true lives of the people. Reality that prevail. Not something that they are already bored with. They want to run away from situations that never fulfill their would be happiness.

Back to the future.

We can find solace here.

The Point in perspective.

Summer with blazing sun. Lush green trees abound.

The bridges are unique. Each of them is huge. An engineering marvel. An architectural achievement. Massive and yet attractive.

Each bridge is unique. No two bridges are the same. Customised. Aesthetic values abound.

Pittsburgh caught in sunset.

Alleghany Centre. Shopping arcades. Shopping and relaxing.

Another shopping centre. The Station Square.

In summer there are endless atractions. Daytime is full of excitements. Open concert such as this dominated even the smallest space. Belching out their songs. Entertaining the crowd. An inviting noise indeed. Notice that they are adults with years of experience. The young may have stage frights.

The Pittsburgh Plate Glass building in the background. An architectural marvel by itself. There are many shops around. It is yours for your pleasure.

An easy life. Marinas along the river. Water sports around. Fresh water. Time to relax.

Steel and steel. Bridges after bridges. Reminder of the past. The move forward. To the future.

Different design. Different crossing. Blended with nature. Strong. Sustanaible.

I used to cross this bridge. It leads to Pittsburgh International Airport. Some 40km away. So huge. Enormous amount of steel. The city of bridges. Pittsburgh is renown for that. None match its existence. The only city full of bridges.

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is so dear to me. Something special to remember. The space. The songs. The vibrant city. The colours. The flowers. The winds. The snow. The sun. The people. Always flooding my memories. It was an experience of a life time. 18 months that shaped my life. That synergised my peresonal developement. The personification.  It has been 26 years. Quite a long time ago. Yet it is still fresh in my mind. It is refreshing to turn to its pages. Revisiting it is reliving the past. The years gone by.  I wish I were there. Breathing the air. Meeting the people. Frequenting the places that I have gone before. It seems time stood still. Those places are still there. Begging to be revisited.

Cathedral of Learning  is so imposing. Dubbed the tallest university building in the world. Symbol of excellence. Achievement. It is so proud. Standing alone. None competing its elegance.

The old Pittsburgh was so gloomy. Misty. Smoke anda sog. Very misterious in nature. Iron and coal was its living. Its life. Thus Pittsburgh is known. Full of pitt. The University of Pittsburgh was dearly nicknamed The Pitts. Months after I landed in Pittsburgh that I realised its significance. The passanger next to me asked, "You schooling at Pitts?" I did not understand why the university was called The Pitts then.

After years of planning. After much effort. Pittsburgh was rejuvenated. Gone were the mist. Gone were the gloom. Gone were the floods. Gone were the miseries. It was transformed into a vibrant city. Boasting as the Number One City in US in 1985-86. For me and my family it was fun all the way. Life was blissful. Allah bestowed upon me and my family a happy stay. Alhamdulillah. Thank you Allah.

This is the focal point of Pittsburgh. The confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers that formed the great Ohio River. The fountain is its true landmark. The particulafr point is called The Point. In summer the place is jammed with people enjoying the sunshine. Basking to get tan. One of the nesrest building is The Point Park College. Many Malaysians undergone their study here.

The many colours of Pittsburgh. Changes due to changing seasons. The sun and its oblique position made this changing colours. 

The city is located between two great rivers. Commuters cross numerous bridges. The greater Pittsburgh expanding a much wider area across and around The Point.

A very famous observatory. Those studying astronomy frequented this building.

This is Forbes Avenue. Runs through the heart of the University of Pittsburgh. Sort of university town. The town grew in and out of the university. Thus the university is blended with its surrounding. You name whatever you need, it is there. The university business centre in fall. Notice that the leaves are turning yellow, amber and red. Not brown as is common in Malaysia. A real university town. It looks so huge. The enrolment was more than 20,000.

This is Hillman Library. Days and night I was here. Devulging its treasure. Picking up whatever that comes by. Always a pleasure to be here. I never missed my beloved country because the national newspapers were always there for my picking. Internet was not there yet.



The School of Education. My class was up there. The fourth floor. Up and down by lift.

An old image. The sight was just not inviting. Smoke and smog engulfed the city. Seemed to be forever.

The final building so dear to me. My graduation was held here. The Civic Arena. It can seat more than 30,000 people. It is a dome. Covered to avoid snow and rain. Right in the heart of Pittsburgh.

Whenever I look at this image, my memories just flooding back. It is not an ordinary image. I was there before. I had the experince of scaling the steps. Moving up and down the building. Attending classes. Or simply went to the observatory tower. Scanning the distant city of Pittsburgh. Very picturesque during the day. My, those yellow, amber and red colours blended in the evening sun. A sight to be remembered. Maybe my heart is still there. The passing of an episode. The passing of time. There was this place. Somewhere. Planted vividly in my mind.  Keeps on rolling from time to time.

The entrance to the University od Pitsburgh. Very inviting. There was so much happening behind this wall. One of the oldest university in the US. Founded in 1787.

The olden days gone by. It was not only smoke and smog. The floods were numerous. The location was prone to floods. Two great rivers converging here. When the city was revamped the result was simply awesome. Amazing. The flood never come back.



Sometimes Pittsburgh is called the City of Bridges. So numerous. Connecting various points. Going in and out of the city was never a problem.

The city is spanned by bridges. Brige after bridge. It is symbolic. Reminding its citizens that they grew due to iron. Said to be half that was mined in the US. A stark reminder. Their root.

Anak Didik Kita Jadi Apa?

Rasanya tiap awal minggu  guru menatap kesemua anak didiknya di sekolah. Perhimpunan pagi Ahad atau pagi Isnin itu merupakan rutin mingguan. Tidak lengkap jika tidak dilaksanakan. Ramai guru yang gian untuk ‘bercakap’. Biasalah, panjang desingan kata-kata pedas dilemparkan kepada pelajar. Kasihan budak-budak tu. Penat datang ke sekolah. Diperintah berdiri dalam jangkamasa yang melebihi had. Kebanyakan mereka berlapar kerana tiada sarapan di rumah. Guru-guru duduk pula. Very feudalistic. Konsep tuan dan hamba masih berleluasa rupanya. Diperluas pula. Dalam zaman yang begini canggih masih ada saki bakinya. Masih diperkukuh. 

Mendidik ini satu hala atau dua hala? Atau banyak hala? Jika kita kata hanya guru yang layak mengendalikan sistem pendidikan, di mana peranan ibu bapa? Di mana peranan ahli masyarakat? Di mana pula peranan NGO? Ahli politik bagaimana? Ulama’ di mana?  Jigsaw puzzlenya terlalu rencam.  Bukankah guru hanya pelaksana? Ibu bapa memberi tanggungjawab kepada mereka? Masyarakat membebankan tanggungjawab kepada mereka? Pemerintah melonggokkan tanggungjawab kepada mereka? Agama, bangsa dan seluruh warganegara meletakkan tanggungjawab di bahu guru. Didiklah anak bangsamu. Ajarlah mereka. Berikan mereka cahaya untuk masa hadapan mereka. Tunjukkan mereka jalan lurus yang kita rencanakan. Bimbing dan asuhlah mereka dari bertatih hingga berlari pantas meneraju dunia. Meneroka the unknown. Menerobos ruang masa dan angkasa. Mencari kebenaran. Membuang kebatilan. Merencanakan keredhaan Allah. Untuk masa hadapan ummah. Kemanusiaan yang lestari sifatnya. Sementara dunia belum kiamat.

Saban waktu guru menatap anak-anak didiknya di kelas. Saban waktu di makmal. Saban waktu di bengkel. Apa yang guru nampak? Siapa yang guru nampak?   Anak-anak yang entah anak siapa? Banyak kelainan antara satu sama lain. Banyak perbezaan yang sangat ketara. Banyak pelarian-pelarian dari yang biasa-biasa. Cuba renung sejenak. Pandang dalam-dalam. Bawa ke dalam hati jauh-jauh. Masukkan ke lubuk hati. Mungkin ke suatu sudut kecil di hati. Selitkan dalam celahan kecil di mana-mana serpihan perasaan. Bukankah mereka itu anak? Bukankah mereka itu anak? Bukankah mereka itu anak? Anak siapapun mereka, mereka tetap anak. Anak-anak yang mentah. Yang segar. Yang masih mulus. Yang belum mengenal tulus. Bersih sebersihnya. Mereka menanti penuh debar untuk diwarnakan. Untuk dicorakkan. Untuk dipelbagaikan. Untuk dicanai menjadi manusia yang tinggi martabat kemanusiaannya.

Cuba pandang mereka dengan mata hati. Dengan rasa hati. Dengan kehalusan budi. Nanti akan terlihat bahawa anak-anak itu sebenar-benarnya tanggungjawab orang yang bergelar guru. Orang yang untuk digurui. Orang yang pada dirinya sudah tercatat fitrah guru. Orang yang sejak azali dicipta untuk menjadi guru. Allah telah melantikmu menjadi guru. Pada bahumu disandarkan harapan. Pada dadamu didambakan untaian-untaian mutiasa para ilmuan. Dari buaimu untuk menggegar dunia. Dari dendanganmu diledakkan suara dakwah untuk dikumandangkan. Dihalilintarkan ke telinga yang mahu mendengar. Dilontarkan lagu-lagu indah masa hadapan.

Sewaktu ke sekolah guru melihat anak-anak berduyun-duyun mengukur panjangnya jalan. Jalan itu nampak ada penghujungnya. Namun banyak dan terlalu banyak simpangnya. Benarkah anak-anak itu melalui simpang-simpang yang dimengertikan? Banyak stesen menanti berhenti. Benarkah stesen itu berakhirnya destinasi? Simpang mana mesti diambil dan dilalui? Stesen mana yang paling jauh mesti dituju? Beg-beg besar gunung yang digalas setiap hari itu adakah nanti melonggokkan haparan yang juga menggunung? Adakah ianya hanya beban yang ditimpakan? Hingga akhirnya nanti mereka tenggelam dalam timbunan beg. Hilang ditelan beg-beg besar yang hanya membebankan. Beg-beg itu akhirnya kosong. Tidak menjanjikan apa-apa.

Pulang dari sekolah guru melihat lagi senario yang sama. Anak-anak yang terlepas dari pagar sekolah yang tadi amat memeritkan. Mungkin enam jam yang menyeksakan. Adakah mereka keluar untuk membawa hati yang penuh harap? Atau keluar membawa derita pengalaman harian yang tidak pernah mendap? Keluar dan masuk  pagar sekolah itu adakah hanya rutin semata-mata-mata. Guru mengharapkan mereka menadah nyiru di kelas-kelas mereka. Membwa pulang dada-dada ynag penuh berisi padat dengan ilmu. Dengan pengetahuan. Dengan maklumat. Tangan-tangan mereka penuh trampel. Pandai tangan. Ada sahaja kemahiran yang menjadi. Tangan-tangan ringan yang cekatan. Ada arah yang boleh dituju untuk membina kehidupan masa hadapan yang cerah.

Guru memandang keliling melihat anak-anak didik.  Guru telah kenal siapa mereka. Ada latarbelakang yang telah diketahui. Sekarang pandanglah ke hadapan. Lima tahun dari sekarang. Mungkin 10. Mungkin 20. Mungkin 50. Mungkin dan mungkin untuk genersi mereka akan datang. Masa yang akan ditinggalkan guru. Masa yang telah lama nanti sewaktu guru bersemadi sendiri. Melihat ke dunia dengan rohnya. Dengan jisim yang sudah tiada. Siapa akan jadinya anak-anak didik guru itu? Apa nanti jadinya mereka? Senang atau payah hidup mereka? Dapatkah mereka melestarikan kesinambungan aspirasi guru itu dahulu? Ada lagikah warisan zaman yang dibawa untuk berzaman-zaman nanti.

Barangkali jika guru melihat crystal ball masa hadapan tentu ada yang tidak beres dalam perasaan. Lihatlah anak-anak didik itu sebagai anak kita sendiri. Mereka dambakan kasih sayang kita. Mereka mengharapkan kita. Kita menjadi galang ganti ibu bapa yang tidak mengerti. Gurulah harapan terakhir anak-anak didik kita. Harapan terakhir ibu bapa yang ada. Benteng terakhir pewaris zaman. Orang-orang yang merencanakan masa hadapan bangsa. Memikul harapan besar membina bangsa. Yang kau tanggung itu adalah anak bangsamu. Anak-anak warisanmu. Warganegara yang nanti  menjadi penyambungmu. Mereka membawa obor zaman. Obor ilmu yang terangnya menerobos segala rintangan.

Mereka bukan anak-anakmu tetapi mereka anak-anak bangsamu. Anak-anak yang tidak mengerti apa-apa jika tiada keikhlasan di hatimu. Jika tiada belas dalam perasaanmu. Jika tiada kasih di sanubarimu. Kau hanya melihat nanti mereka merempit. Mereka membuang bayi. Mereka menjadi peragut. Mereka menjadi bapa dan ibu ayam. Menjadi perompak. Mereka menjadi pembunuh. Mereka menjadi tegar dengan dadah. Mereka ketagih arak. Mereka jadi gila seks. Mereka menjadi manusia gelandangan. Guru bukan penontonnya. Guru bukan sekadar menjadi saksi. Guru memiliki saham ke atas semua salah laku itu. Ke atas semua sifat divergent itu. Ke atas semua yang tidak congruent itu. Yes! Saya guru. Tuan guru. Puan guru. Kita semua menyumbang kepada apa sahaja ketidak selarian yang dilakukan oleh anak-anak kita. Pusinglah ke manapun kita menyumbang sebenarnya. Bukan secara individu tetapi secara kolektif. Semua orang yang profesionya guru. Sebabnya sangat mudah. Semua yang namanya pendidikan menjadi tanggungjawab mutlak di bahu kita. Larilah. Igauan itu  tetap datang memburu kita.

Penyelesaiannya sukar. Cuma barangkali setiap seorang daripada kita mencari paradigma baru. Mencari arah baru. Bawa diri kita untuk memberikan yang terbaik. Baik akademik. Baik yang bukan akademik. Secara holistik atau tidak. Kembali kepada hasrat murni untuk membina bangsa. Untuk negara tercinta. Modal insan yang mesti dibangunkan. Yang mesti disepadukan dengan persekitaran yang semakin besar tuntutannya. Dunia kita tiada sempadan lagi. Anak didik kita menjadi warga dunia. Bukan lagi warga kampung yang jumud. Tanggungjawab siapa? Itulah tugas besarmu wahai guru. Suatu waktu nanti akan dituntut pananggungjawabanmu. Akan ditanya apa yang telah kau laksanakan. Yang telah kau sempurnakan. Sama-samalah kita menggandakan usaha untuk mencapai yang terbaik. Untukmu guru. InsyaAllah.