Yo, how's y'all?
I'm just here trying to write something, trying to keep this blog alive, but the more I think about it.. The more I realize that I'm actually more productive when I'm busy, when my schedule is crowded by events. See, now that I enter my second month in college, I have loads of works and tasks I'm supposed to do instead of writing a blog post; I need to make books filled with college kids my year's data and pictures. I have physics and chemistry homework, I need to catch up with my limit sub-chapter in math, I need to go to campus tomorrow at 8.45AM (now's 10.54PM and tomorrow's freaking SUNDAY) for an organization meeting, I still need to buy books from a shop quite far from where I stay now, and the list continues...
but frankly, as much as I have to do things, being opposed by what I'm used to (doing nothing, exactly), I don't feel burdened. Well, sure there's quite some feel of it (I even grow more acne god-dang-it), but I still feel the fun, the excitement.
Why? I can't thoroughly explain the excitement (you don't explain excitement, you feel it, m8), but get this, one task required me to write my address in bandung, and when my pen stopped for a moment before I got to write "Bandung" in the said section, (this sounds so cliche I'm aware) I feel like my whole life, my previous life, my high school life, my hometown life, just flashed before my eyes.
I feel pride.
I'm away from home now. I'm officially a college student. Nobody tells me what to do, but at the same time, I feel obliged to do my best for everyone. For me. For my parents. For the sake of God. For my friends who had always supported me. For my teachers. For the people who appeared in my life of course particularly sent to teach me life lessons. For those who haven't appeared in my life just yet.
For everyone.
Untuk Tuhan, Bangsa, dan Almamater.
I'm a Ganesha student now. I'm an Atharwahija and I'm proud.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Hello Friends
Although I doubt anyone would expect seeing me posting again after a long while...
There has been lots of things I want to write. I've gone through lots of things without letting you guys notice. As usual, my plan to write regularly had come to a failure. I'm too lazy and clueless to write, as ever, but now I'm just in my mood so I decide to write about the highlights of my current life...
Like writing a letter to a long lost relative.
Why I'm doing this, I'm not sure. Why I feel the need to reveal myself for the world to see, I have no clue; I just do.
Things have been... great. No, really. It's awesome. I'm now officially a college student, mahasiswa, if you will. I like the sound of it. Maha Siswa. Mahasiswa ITB. FMIPA 2013.
Now, it's not my intention to brag. I wouldn't say I'm proud of myself for entering, but this is definitely a good start for my future.
Before I was accepted officially as a part of ITB, as universities commonly hold, there was some kind of orientation program. You know, that period of time when you need--no, have to do the tasks the senior committee has assigned, wear and bring bizarre stuff, follow orders without questions, getting yelled at for no absolute reason...
That was kind of exaggerating wasn't it? Rumor has it that way, but my orientation program was scarcely something like that-- a bit, though. ITB's orientation program is called OSKM (look it up if you would). It focused more on campus introduction and orientation (duh) for our college days. We were required to make some kind of gigantic name tag, though, and we had to bring some heavy-arse stuff, but they are not so burdening as to make us stay up late and get sick. No, there's plenty of time for it later..
I wanted to make a blog post special for the OSKM week but apparently that just didn't happen. What I'm pointing out now is the lesson I had learned during the orientation week.
If you're a devoted reader of my blog [laughs dryly], or you just simply know me, you'd notice that I'm not that kind of person who has a concrete vision / ambition / dream-- not even talent. When I got accepted in this uni, it wasn't because I have a huge ambition to enter. No. I merely just got lucky... (see, when writing this I actually feel bad for the people who REALLY wanted to enter). I want this uni as well, because it has its reputations, and my parents thought it would be a jumpstart for a good career. So I comply.
However, things aren't that simple anymore. I cannot become a "just" student to attend classes, do homework, and study at home. Not anymore. During the programs we were constantly asked about how we feel after we got accepted, about our visions, why we registered to the uni, those kind of stuffs. What I have in mind was only to study good and graduate and get a sufficient job.
It was wrong to think that way, according to them.
Kalian masuk ITB itu harus punya tujuan!
They taught us that money and steady job isn't the main goal here. Changing our country for a better place, that's what we all should aim here. Anyone can get good grades and good job. People with pure dreams, that's rare. I frankly was appalled by how right they are and how blind I had been all this time.
I shouldn't be thinking about how good job will make me sufficient. I shouldn't be thinking about how to merely earn fortune. I should be thinking of how my knowledge can benefit people and my country. Look, I realize how very cheesy this sounds, but the program just opened my eyes. My words will not express accurately what I felt. It almost felt like epiphany. I was determined to change since then, to get my arse off my comfort zone.
I had been a comfortable introvert. I avoided people. I always tried to talk as less as possible, but now, I feel like knowing people more. I try to make friends no matter how awkward I may look. Friends they might not be, but at least I know them. I heard being friendless in college will kill you. Figuratively, though. Because I'm not good at remembering people (or that I'm not empathetic enough to care about them), I'm starting this new technique in which after I met someone, I'd write their names on a small notebook, and things I've learned about them. Because there are so many people from so many faculty and so many different classes and different culture and hometowns.
Since I got here, I take public transportation everywhere. In my hometown I would ask to be driven everywhere; to school, to department store, to my friends house, and if I'm not, I wouldn't go anywhere. I even think I walk more in my first month living in Bandung than I did during my seven years in Balikpapan. This was also a start. I complained at first, but now I'm liking it.
I still can't decide my concrete vision / ambition yet, but hopefully I will learn on my way through. I felt different. It feels good. My first steps out of my comfort zone and I feel thrilled. I'm starting my life adventure now. Wish me luck so I can be a better person than I already am.
-T
Kalian masuk ITB itu harus punya tujuan!
They taught us that money and steady job isn't the main goal here. Changing our country for a better place, that's what we all should aim here. Anyone can get good grades and good job. People with pure dreams, that's rare. I frankly was appalled by how right they are and how blind I had been all this time.
I shouldn't be thinking about how good job will make me sufficient. I shouldn't be thinking about how to merely earn fortune. I should be thinking of how my knowledge can benefit people and my country. Look, I realize how very cheesy this sounds, but the program just opened my eyes. My words will not express accurately what I felt. It almost felt like epiphany. I was determined to change since then, to get my arse off my comfort zone.
I had been a comfortable introvert. I avoided people. I always tried to talk as less as possible, but now, I feel like knowing people more. I try to make friends no matter how awkward I may look. Friends they might not be, but at least I know them. I heard being friendless in college will kill you. Figuratively, though. Because I'm not good at remembering people (or that I'm not empathetic enough to care about them), I'm starting this new technique in which after I met someone, I'd write their names on a small notebook, and things I've learned about them. Because there are so many people from so many faculty and so many different classes and different culture and hometowns.
Since I got here, I take public transportation everywhere. In my hometown I would ask to be driven everywhere; to school, to department store, to my friends house, and if I'm not, I wouldn't go anywhere. I even think I walk more in my first month living in Bandung than I did during my seven years in Balikpapan. This was also a start. I complained at first, but now I'm liking it.
I still can't decide my concrete vision / ambition yet, but hopefully I will learn on my way through. I felt different. It feels good. My first steps out of my comfort zone and I feel thrilled. I'm starting my life adventure now. Wish me luck so I can be a better person than I already am.
-T
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Beware of The Media
For this one, the title actually makes sense and relates directly to what I'm about to write.
The media isn't always right. I kinda have trust issue with the media and it is quite personal.
Dulu di masa-masa SD-ku, mungkin sekitar kelas 4 atau 5, aku pernah masuk koran.
Yep. Koran.
Koran lokal, sih... Tapi teteup aja masuk koran, hehe. *nyengir* Hanya saja, bukan karena sesuatu yang membanggakan karakteristik individualku, cuma sekedar tampil wajahnya.
Sure this kinda raise the question, apa yang salah dengan itu?
Let me tell you what went really wrong.
Hari di mana orang-orang koran itu "turun lapangan" untuk meliput berita tersebut, itu adalah hari... um... hari apa ya itu? Pada hari itu aku sedang mengikuti semacam, hmm, entah lomba, entah workshop, pokoknya berbau "Inggris". Maksudnya, ya para peserta menggunakan bahasa Inggris. Aku ke sana bersama guru bahasa Inggrisku dan beberapa orang teman yang aku lupa siapa saja --" (banyak lupa kok ditulis!)
Memang momen itu nggak bisa kuingat banyak, tapi yang jelas berkesan adalah adanya sesi tanya jawab dengan walikota daerah tempat tinggalku, yang harus menggunakan bahasa Inggris. Karena sang walikota sibuk, setelah memberikan sambutan (you know, formality thingy...) juru bicaranya mengatakan kepada kami semua (para peserta dan pembimbingnya) bahwa beliau hanya akan menjawab tiga pertanyaan, beliau bilang kepada kami melalui mikrofonnya, "Tiga pertanyaan saja. SD satu, SMP satu, SMA satu". Kemudian kami yang ingin bertanya dipersilahkan mengangkat tangan.
Lalu terangkatlah tangan-tangan semi-agresif itu. Tadinya aku gak minat angkat tangan, wong udah rame gitu kan, rempong, gak tahu pula mau nanya apa, tapi guru bahasa Inggrisku memaksaku mengangkat tangan dan aku pun manut aja bagai kerbau dicocok hidung. Disaat aku mulai mengangkat tangan, ada anak SMA yang sudah diberi giliran untuk bertanya - jangan tanya dia tanya apa, aku gak ingat - sementara peserta-peserta lain yang masih menggebu-gebu menjemput kesempatan untuk bercakap langsung dengan sang walikota masih mengangkat tangan mereka (kecuali aku, aku tidak excited sama sekali he).
Polosnya, waktu itu aku salah mengartikan perkataan beliau yang "SD satu, SMP satu, SMA satu" itu. Aku mikirnya pertanyaan yang bakal diterima cuma dari SISWA SD 1, SISWA SMP 1, dan SISWA SMA 1. Ngerti gak? Kebetulan waktu itu aku bersekolah di SD 001, jadi aku otomatis mikir bahwa aku atau teman satu sekolahku yang bakalan ditunjuk, karena tadi beliau ngomongnya SD SATU. *plaaaak*
Pada akhirnya bukan aku atau teman satu sekolahku yang ditunjuk, melainkan anak dari SD lain... Dan pada saat itulah aku menyadari kalau GAK MUNGKIN DONG SI WALIKOTA ITU TAHU MANA AJA YANG ANAK SD 001. Lagian, diskriminasi amat kalau beneran terjadi. Kasihan yang dari SD lain dong.. :/ *menampar diri sendiri*
Lalu, sebelum sang walikota beranjak pergi dari ada orang-orang dari koran lokal yang mau memotret beliau. Nah, ternyata banyak (atau beberapa lah) yang ikut berfoto di sekeliling pak walikota, termasuk guru bahasa Inggrisku itu (ih norak ya ternyata kalau dipikir-pikir lagi... wkwk ampun bu).
Karena si guru itu membuat gestur tangan yang menyuruhku mendekat untuk ikutan foto, aku comply aja. Jadilah aku berjalan menuju belakang punggung si walikota, di sebelah guruku yang sudah standby dengan senyumnya menghadap kamera. Tapi yang bisa kulihat di hadapanku hanya hitamnya bagian punggung jas yang dikenakan sang walikota, dan aku sampai pada kesimpulan penting: untuk bisa tampak di foto, aku harus JINJIT. Nah, pas waktu itu, ada orang-orang lagi mau foto, jadi nyempil di pinggir-pinggir kerumunan, dan menyebabkan posisiku tambah mepet dengan guruku.
3...2...1... Cekrik!
Kemudian pak walikota buru-buru pergi dari venue tersebut.
I thought the picture will turn out just fine. I was smiling at the right time, standing on my toes at the exact moment, and nothing could go wrong.... right?
Wrong.
Waktu artikelnya keluar di koran, WEEEEEEEIIIIII ADA GAMBARKUUUU~ walaupun cuma nyempil dari belakang punggung si orang penting... yang penting kan udah pernah masuk ko- tunggu.
Ada yang gak beres.
Caption-nya.
Shite.
Ingat saat kukatakan di saat-saat terakhir mau foto posisiku mepet dengan guruku? Nah, di foto ini pun kebetulan kaki dan tanganku gak kelihatan, karena memang sudah pada dasarnya "nyempil", ditambah pula dengan kerumunan yang ikutan foto di samping-samping pak walikota yang menghalangi pandangan kameraman ke property badan lengkapku (eh apaan nih).
Jadilah captionnya: "...Tampak seorang anak yang tidak memiliki kaki dan tangan sedang digendong oleh ibunya ikut berfoto."
Like, SERIOUSLY? I freaking know that caption was about ME. Posisiku dan guruku dalam foto itu emang mengesankan kalau aku GAK PUNYA UPPER LIMB dan DIGENDONG. Yang kelihatan kepala thok! Apalagi orang-orang lain dalam foto itu tampak normal-normal aja, badannya gak pada ketutupan whatsoever.
But come on, TANPA KAKI DAN TANGAN? Kalau emang benar ada anak tanpa kaki dan tangan yang muncul dalam acara tersebut, tentunya dia bakal jadi bahan bagus untuk artikel tambahan, bukan? Tapi pada kenyataannya dalam artikel yang ada foto"ku" itu, sama sekali nggak ada membahas tentang keanehan atau spesialnya acara tersebut sehingga seorang anak dengan fisik setidaksempurna itu bela-belain datang ke sana...
Dan DIGENDONG IBUNYA? She's my teacher! Not my mother! Gila emang tuh koran, asumsinya ngawur banget. Ngawur sengawur-ngawurnya ngawur.
Memang itu hasil dari koran lokal yang nggak kredibel, tapi sempat bikin shock. Pengen marah dan menertawakan mereka yang mencetuskan caption tersebut di saat bersamaan.
Tapi pada intinya, yang tetap di benakku bukan perasaan marah atau perasaan pengen ketawa lagi. Sejak saat itulah aku mulai mempertanyakan media.
Dan cita-citaku untuk menjadi seorang jurnalis jadi terpatri waktu itu. Tentu saja untuk meliput hanya kebenaran semata sehingga orang tidak lagi terjebak dalam series of letter dan caption yang menjebak.
This way I've learned: Don't trust the media that easily.
The media isn't always right. I kinda have trust issue with the media and it is quite personal.
Dulu di masa-masa SD-ku, mungkin sekitar kelas 4 atau 5, aku pernah masuk koran.
Yep. Koran.
Koran lokal, sih... Tapi teteup aja masuk koran, hehe. *nyengir* Hanya saja, bukan karena sesuatu yang membanggakan karakteristik individualku, cuma sekedar tampil wajahnya.
Sure this kinda raise the question, apa yang salah dengan itu?
Let me tell you what went really wrong.
Hari di mana orang-orang koran itu "turun lapangan" untuk meliput berita tersebut, itu adalah hari... um... hari apa ya itu? Pada hari itu aku sedang mengikuti semacam, hmm, entah lomba, entah workshop, pokoknya berbau "Inggris". Maksudnya, ya para peserta menggunakan bahasa Inggris. Aku ke sana bersama guru bahasa Inggrisku dan beberapa orang teman yang aku lupa siapa saja --" (banyak lupa kok ditulis!)
Memang momen itu nggak bisa kuingat banyak, tapi yang jelas berkesan adalah adanya sesi tanya jawab dengan walikota daerah tempat tinggalku, yang harus menggunakan bahasa Inggris. Karena sang walikota sibuk, setelah memberikan sambutan (you know, formality thingy...) juru bicaranya mengatakan kepada kami semua (para peserta dan pembimbingnya) bahwa beliau hanya akan menjawab tiga pertanyaan, beliau bilang kepada kami melalui mikrofonnya, "Tiga pertanyaan saja. SD satu, SMP satu, SMA satu". Kemudian kami yang ingin bertanya dipersilahkan mengangkat tangan.
Lalu terangkatlah tangan-tangan semi-agresif itu. Tadinya aku gak minat angkat tangan, wong udah rame gitu kan, rempong, gak tahu pula mau nanya apa, tapi guru bahasa Inggrisku memaksaku mengangkat tangan dan aku pun manut aja bagai kerbau dicocok hidung. Disaat aku mulai mengangkat tangan, ada anak SMA yang sudah diberi giliran untuk bertanya - jangan tanya dia tanya apa, aku gak ingat - sementara peserta-peserta lain yang masih menggebu-gebu menjemput kesempatan untuk bercakap langsung dengan sang walikota masih mengangkat tangan mereka (kecuali aku, aku tidak excited sama sekali he).
Polosnya, waktu itu aku salah mengartikan perkataan beliau yang "SD satu, SMP satu, SMA satu" itu. Aku mikirnya pertanyaan yang bakal diterima cuma dari SISWA SD 1, SISWA SMP 1, dan SISWA SMA 1. Ngerti gak? Kebetulan waktu itu aku bersekolah di SD 001, jadi aku otomatis mikir bahwa aku atau teman satu sekolahku yang bakalan ditunjuk, karena tadi beliau ngomongnya SD SATU. *plaaaak*
Pada akhirnya bukan aku atau teman satu sekolahku yang ditunjuk, melainkan anak dari SD lain... Dan pada saat itulah aku menyadari kalau GAK MUNGKIN DONG SI WALIKOTA ITU TAHU MANA AJA YANG ANAK SD 001. Lagian, diskriminasi amat kalau beneran terjadi. Kasihan yang dari SD lain dong.. :/ *menampar diri sendiri*
Lalu, sebelum sang walikota beranjak pergi dari ada orang-orang dari koran lokal yang mau memotret beliau. Nah, ternyata banyak (atau beberapa lah) yang ikut berfoto di sekeliling pak walikota, termasuk guru bahasa Inggrisku itu (ih norak ya ternyata kalau dipikir-pikir lagi... wkwk ampun bu).
Karena si guru itu membuat gestur tangan yang menyuruhku mendekat untuk ikutan foto, aku comply aja. Jadilah aku berjalan menuju belakang punggung si walikota, di sebelah guruku yang sudah standby dengan senyumnya menghadap kamera. Tapi yang bisa kulihat di hadapanku hanya hitamnya bagian punggung jas yang dikenakan sang walikota, dan aku sampai pada kesimpulan penting: untuk bisa tampak di foto, aku harus JINJIT. Nah, pas waktu itu, ada orang-orang lagi mau foto, jadi nyempil di pinggir-pinggir kerumunan, dan menyebabkan posisiku tambah mepet dengan guruku.
3...2...1... Cekrik!
Kemudian pak walikota buru-buru pergi dari venue tersebut.
I thought the picture will turn out just fine. I was smiling at the right time, standing on my toes at the exact moment, and nothing could go wrong.... right?
Wrong.
Waktu artikelnya keluar di koran, WEEEEEEEIIIIII ADA GAMBARKUUUU~ walaupun cuma nyempil dari belakang punggung si orang penting... yang penting kan udah pernah masuk ko- tunggu.
Ada yang gak beres.
Caption-nya.
Shite.
Ingat saat kukatakan di saat-saat terakhir mau foto posisiku mepet dengan guruku? Nah, di foto ini pun kebetulan kaki dan tanganku gak kelihatan, karena memang sudah pada dasarnya "nyempil", ditambah pula dengan kerumunan yang ikutan foto di samping-samping pak walikota yang menghalangi pandangan kameraman ke property badan lengkapku (eh apaan nih).
Jadilah captionnya: "...Tampak seorang anak yang tidak memiliki kaki dan tangan sedang digendong oleh ibunya ikut berfoto."
Like, SERIOUSLY? I freaking know that caption was about ME. Posisiku dan guruku dalam foto itu emang mengesankan kalau aku GAK PUNYA UPPER LIMB dan DIGENDONG. Yang kelihatan kepala thok! Apalagi orang-orang lain dalam foto itu tampak normal-normal aja, badannya gak pada ketutupan whatsoever.
But come on, TANPA KAKI DAN TANGAN? Kalau emang benar ada anak tanpa kaki dan tangan yang muncul dalam acara tersebut, tentunya dia bakal jadi bahan bagus untuk artikel tambahan, bukan? Tapi pada kenyataannya dalam artikel yang ada foto"ku" itu, sama sekali nggak ada membahas tentang keanehan atau spesialnya acara tersebut sehingga seorang anak dengan fisik setidaksempurna itu bela-belain datang ke sana...
Dan DIGENDONG IBUNYA? She's my teacher! Not my mother! Gila emang tuh koran, asumsinya ngawur banget. Ngawur sengawur-ngawurnya ngawur.
Memang itu hasil dari koran lokal yang nggak kredibel, tapi sempat bikin shock. Pengen marah dan menertawakan mereka yang mencetuskan caption tersebut di saat bersamaan.
Tapi pada intinya, yang tetap di benakku bukan perasaan marah atau perasaan pengen ketawa lagi. Sejak saat itulah aku mulai mempertanyakan media.
Dan cita-citaku untuk menjadi seorang jurnalis jadi terpatri waktu itu. Tentu saja untuk meliput hanya kebenaran semata sehingga orang tidak lagi terjebak dalam series of letter dan caption yang menjebak.
This way I've learned: Don't trust the media that easily.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Blog on the Run
I'm posting this from my mobile now. Blogger has mobile app, I had been aware. I had planned to post something everyday but you know my issue, being a lazy arse.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Problems With People
This week hasn't been great. I keep having communication problems. Well, some of them are my fault, but not entirely. *shrugs*
What I meant by comm probs are not about my text messages getting pended by the operator, it's that what I'm trying to say to people are being totally misinterpreted due to my lack of social skill or just simply by my wrong way of thinking that people can read part of my mind. Well, newsflash, they can't.
Rabu lalu, aku dengan beberapa kawan sekelasku memutuskan untuk mengunjungi mall sepulang sekolah. Beberapa dari kami berniat menonton Skyfall yang baru-baru ini masuk ke bioskop Blitzmegaplex yang kebetulan juga baru buka dan dengan murah hati memberikan harga promo 30% dari harga normalnya (yep, aku menghitungnya), sedangkan aku sendiri tidak tertarik. Tapi karena aku ingin mengunjungi hotspot wi-fi di sebuah restoran, jadilah rencana ini diniatkan.
Ternyata pada akhirnya peserta rombongan kami berkurang dua, karena satu orang rupanya gak bisa, dan satunya langsung pulang O.o Anyway, karena dua orang ini termasuk dalam rombongan yang berniat menonton, maka kami pun gak jadi nonton dengan alasan orangnya terlalu sedikit (yang niat nonton juga jadinya cuma satu hehe). Lalu kami berempat pada akhirnya nongkrong di McD.
Dimana masalahnya?
Here it goes. Masalah dimulai ketika aku yang memesan di kasir.
Kami tadinya hanya ingin memesan 3 minuman bersoda krim dan satu es krim, sekedar mengganjal perut, lagipula aku sedang mengurangi kadar minyak dalam makananku, pikirku. Eh tahunya selama ngenet itu (ada hotspot wifi cihui di McD) kami mendadak lapar. This C girl suggested us to order a more money-saving package deal. Nasi dengan ayam dan soft drink hanya 16.500, katanya. "Kalau gak salah namanya paket hemat."
So K and I walked downstairs to the cashier. Aku lihat di papan menu yang menyala-nyala di atas kepala si mbaknya ada tertulis paket hemat. Tulisannya "Paket Hemat termasuk Medium Fries dan Medium Soft Drink". Ada tulisannya termasuk kan? Jadi tanpa bertanya pada si mbaknya aku langsung berkesimpulan bahwa paket hemat yang disarankan C juga termasuk kentang goreng. Kupikir, lumayan nih. Lalu giliran memesan kami pun tiba. Tanpa basa-basi aku langsung memesan tiga "Paket Hemat" ini. Eh ternyata harganya kok mahal ._. Tapi waktu itu pikiranku lagi rada nge-blank jadi gak begitu kuperhatiin...
Kemudian mbaknya pun menaruh tiga bungkus kentang goreng ukuran (relatif) gede (menurutku) di atas nampan kami, disusul tiga gelas soft drink. Lho? Kok kentangnya gede banget? Aku berbisik kepada K di sebelahku, "Kentangnya gede-gede banget ya, agak mencurigakan nih..."
Terus dengan gobloknya kami masih menanti kedatangan tiga porsi nasi dg ayam goreng. I knew McD isn't that generous! Si mbaknya tampak udah selesai melayani pesanan kami dan memberikan kami gestur untuk minggir karena pelanggan selanjutnya ingin memesan. K dan aku pun saling berpandangan dengan tatapan yang mengekspresikan "That's it?"
K membawa nampan berisi "Paket Hemat" itu sambil bertanya pada mbaknya, "Ini sudah semuanya ya, mbak?" dibalas dengan jawaban affirmative dengan senyum aneh oleh si mbak kasir. Kami pun melenggang balik ke meja kami dengan perasaan dibodohi.
Damn.
Masalah dengan kasir gak berhenti sampai di situ dalam kurun waktu minggu ini. Kali ini kasirnya berbeda. Kasir suatu pusat permainan arcade di (lagi-lagi) mall (tapi molnya beda).
Sabtu lalu, aku pergi dengan ketiga kawanku untuk main Pump it up. Tahu, kan, permainan mesin yang injek-injekin kaki mengikuti irama lagu? Yeah, that.
Kami memutuskan main di area Funcity karena mesin pump di sana lebih baru dan lagunya lebih banyak yang kami kenal. Sesampai di sana, kami sepakat masing-masing membayar 6000 rupiah, sehingga mendapat 24 koin untuk main berpasang-pasangan sebanyak 4 kali.
Then there's this problem. See, karena popularitas permainan ini yang (ternyata) remarkable dan mampu membuat siswa sebaya kami bersedia menghabiskan uang jajannya, seperti yang sudah kami duga, mesin tersebut sudah ditempati (sekitar) tiga orang dari sekolah lain. Yah, biasalah. *mengedikkan bahu*
Jadi sementara mereka main, salah seorang dari kami langsung saja memasukkan semua koin yang kami beli setelah melihat credit para pemain yang sedang nge-pump itu. Satu credit ini bernilai 3 koin. Mereka sisa 4 credit, dan karena kami memasukkan ke-24 koin kami, semestinya sisa credit yang terpampang di layar mesin tersebut 12 credit. Tapi alih-alih 12, yang tertera hanya 9! What?
Ternyata mesin pump tersebut punya batas memasukkan koin! Dan batasnya 9, saudara-saudara! Jadi kesimpulannya sih, kami rugi 3 credit alias 9 koin alias 9000 rupiah. The bravest among us berjalan ke meja kasir dan bertanya kepada si mbaknya kalau mesin tersebut punya batas memasukkan koin...
Kayaknya sih si mbaknya gak tahu apa-apa, soalnya belum selesai dijelaskan pokok permasalahannya yang singkatnya adalah "kami nggak tahu kalau mesinnya punya batas koin, jadi 9 koin kami hangus dan kami minta ganti", eh si mbaknya (dibantu seorang masmas yang mukanya songong) langsung meng-interrupt permainan cewek-cewek sebelum kami sambil bertanya sesuatu mengenai koinnya..
I guess we didn't make ourselves clear. Masalah kami bukan sama cewek2 yang main sebelum kami, tapi sama mesinnya yang gak dikasih peringatan kalau ada batas memasukkan koin. Terciptalah commotion antara kami dan petugas Funcity mengenai masalah credit ini, tapi satu dari cewek2 yang main sebelum kami juga diseret ke masalah ini oleh masmas di sana. Pada akhirnya she offered supaya dia ganti rugi credit kami, dan si masmas langsung menyalaminya sambil berterimakasih banyak kepadanya. O..kay?
No, it's not okay. It wasn't her fault. Kami jadinya terlihat seperti the bad guy dalam masalah ini despite the fact that we were trying to stand for our rights. Jadi sampai disitulah pembicaraan kami, dan para petugasnya (yang tadi banyak mengerubuti pengen tahu ada apa) pun langsung bubar.
We eventually turned down her offer and decided not to play that damned machine for the rest of our senior high year.
Jadi anak-anak, kesimpulan dari pengalamanku minggu ini antara lain adalah:
- Jangan langsung mem-fakta-kan sebuah asumsi yang kalian buat. Walaupun namanya "Paket Hemat" belum tentu harganya beneran hemat dan isi paketnya sesuai dengan apa yang dikatakan temanmu, dan walaupun di mesin Pump It Up tidak ada tulisan bahwa ada batas memasukkan koin, jangan tertipu. Lebih aman bertanya dahulu, daripada akhirnya menyesal.
- Jangan mengira setiap pramuniaga itu credible atau profesional. Sudah tahu etos kerja di negeri ini gak begitu tinggi dan nilai profesionalisme itu cetek, mau mengharapkan yang terbaik dari orang-orang yang latar belakangnya belum jelas?
- Jangan keseringan ke mall. Junk food membius kalian, mesin Pump makes you miserable, dan menghabiskan duit.
Cheers.
T.
(Go on, Funcity, sue me.)
Friday, November 2, 2012
Self-Depriving Thoughts
Lately my life hasn't been as sharp as ever. My days are getting... normal. Dull. A repetitive cycle of actions I could not escape. Well, to be fair, I could escape it, but I'm just too lazy to do so.
I'm in my 12th grade by now, and things -- by things I mean school stuffs, because basically my only life is being online and being a student -- are starting to get tough. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Things are supposed to get tough, right? I mean, the whole UN (Ujian Nasional a.k.a National Examination-- if it's the right English to interpret it) thingy, the pressure of getting better grades to prepare for college, and the subjects that start to get harder, more advanced. It should be at least a priority concern for a normal, determined 12th graders who are actually taking school seriously... At least to my point of view, it works that way.
However, things are different to me.
I still cannot see the priority very clearly, and to be honest, even all I ever do during the 12th grade is slacking off. I barely study. When I get home from school (usually at 3), I've already planned to take a one-hour nap, and then pray, and then take a bath, and do my homework until 6. Sounds good, but then when I actually home, I'd change my clothes, lay down on my bed and either tweeting, playing sudoku, or play PSP for at least an hour. At. Least. When I have (had, it's broken now..) my PSP, I'd even play until 5 or more, and continue at night until I fell asleep.
Every time it happened, I'd always promise myself that I'd execute the plan tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, it happens again. And I'd promise myself again that I'd do better tomorrow.
And it never actually happens. Ever.
I did better on my 11th grade. I still could study at least an hour everyday, but now, I can't even read a single biology textbook page in my room without yawning. During my 11th grade, I could study all night for a test held tomorrow, but now I'd only survive reading 2 hours and then I'd reward myself with an intentionally-planned-to-be an hour nap that will eventually put me in a deep sleep until 6 in the morning.
Is it safe for me to say that I'm devolving? I feel like my future isn't as bright as I used to see it. I know I need to get better, but how? Yeah, go on and say that I need to do it "today", say that I need to "work on my determination" harder, but you know what makes it worse?
I have no ambition. No sole purpose. I'm not that kind of "dreamer" who envisions everything so well and does every single action determined by that dream they have. Sure, I'd like to be that guy, but how? I can't even tell what my ambition is. I still don't even know which college to attend, which major to take, which job to sign up as.
All I ever want to do is stay this way. But that is logically impossible because life goes on, and so do people, and we all eventually need to change following the flow. I guess that's also my problem. Everything around me changes and I'm not prepared to change.
So that's why I've been planning (all I seem to ever do was planning!) to create a "Self-Improvement Lists". It's a book in which I will put all my "to-do"s about my academical plan, my musical skill, my self-findings, my ways to find a passion, my lifestyle changes, and basically everything I might need to improve myself.
Maybe when I have created it I will share it right here. I hope if it works for me, it can be an inspiration for you all. I've always wished I can inspire people.
Now my first to-do is create that damned book. Boy, I gotta find that notebook I intended to put the lists into.
I'm in my 12th grade by now, and things -- by things I mean school stuffs, because basically my only life is being online and being a student -- are starting to get tough. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Things are supposed to get tough, right? I mean, the whole UN (Ujian Nasional a.k.a National Examination-- if it's the right English to interpret it) thingy, the pressure of getting better grades to prepare for college, and the subjects that start to get harder, more advanced. It should be at least a priority concern for a normal, determined 12th graders who are actually taking school seriously... At least to my point of view, it works that way.
However, things are different to me.
I still cannot see the priority very clearly, and to be honest, even all I ever do during the 12th grade is slacking off. I barely study. When I get home from school (usually at 3), I've already planned to take a one-hour nap, and then pray, and then take a bath, and do my homework until 6. Sounds good, but then when I actually home, I'd change my clothes, lay down on my bed and either tweeting, playing sudoku, or play PSP for at least an hour. At. Least. When I have (had, it's broken now..) my PSP, I'd even play until 5 or more, and continue at night until I fell asleep.
Every time it happened, I'd always promise myself that I'd execute the plan tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, it happens again. And I'd promise myself again that I'd do better tomorrow.
And it never actually happens. Ever.
I did better on my 11th grade. I still could study at least an hour everyday, but now, I can't even read a single biology textbook page in my room without yawning. During my 11th grade, I could study all night for a test held tomorrow, but now I'd only survive reading 2 hours and then I'd reward myself with an intentionally-planned-to-be an hour nap that will eventually put me in a deep sleep until 6 in the morning.
Is it safe for me to say that I'm devolving? I feel like my future isn't as bright as I used to see it. I know I need to get better, but how? Yeah, go on and say that I need to do it "today", say that I need to "work on my determination" harder, but you know what makes it worse?
I have no ambition. No sole purpose. I'm not that kind of "dreamer" who envisions everything so well and does every single action determined by that dream they have. Sure, I'd like to be that guy, but how? I can't even tell what my ambition is. I still don't even know which college to attend, which major to take, which job to sign up as.
All I ever want to do is stay this way. But that is logically impossible because life goes on, and so do people, and we all eventually need to change following the flow. I guess that's also my problem. Everything around me changes and I'm not prepared to change.
So that's why I've been planning (all I seem to ever do was planning!) to create a "Self-Improvement Lists". It's a book in which I will put all my "to-do"s about my academical plan, my musical skill, my self-findings, my ways to find a passion, my lifestyle changes, and basically everything I might need to improve myself.
Maybe when I have created it I will share it right here. I hope if it works for me, it can be an inspiration for you all. I've always wished I can inspire people.
Now my first to-do is create that damned book. Boy, I gotta find that notebook I intended to put the lists into.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
It's Always The Quiet Ones
Ever wondered why that guy in your class just sits still, staring into the emptiness, during the recess where everyone is so bothered with companies? Or is he just that invisible to you that you don't actually realize that he was there?
Whether you notice them or not, quiet people are the ones that been there the whole time.
There is a reason why silence, my friend, is gold. I always think silence is an art.
Next time, try to notice someone who is being quiet all alone, while other people are busy chattering and laughing and decided not to speak to that someone. Unless you're Sherlock Holmes, you can't really deduce what that person has in mind at that time.
They might be wondering why nobody bothers to talk to them, wondering if people apparently dislike them, wondering if they might be annoying to people, wondering what clique they should join first in order to make friends, wondering if they could make any new friends after all, or even wondering if they could accept the idea of being forever alone...
I did that. Lots of times. Especially when I got into a new class. I've always imagined how awkward my daily conversations would be, how my new friends would be like, what kind of clique I'd fit into, and those kind of stuffs.
By now I have friends - quite a lot, big achievement for someone like me - I still like spending some time alone, like in class, during the break, when everyone is too busy doing things to actually notice me - or when I turn down my friends when they ask me whether I'd join them to canteen or not. I like being quiet when everyone's talking, and vice versa. I guess it's just in my nature to rebel. I wish. Ha.
But seriously, I do that. Everyone's talking, and I just sat there listening to their noises. Talking about people, about the notes on the whiteboard, about the card plays, about computer games, about their activities last night... Oh, aren't ordinary people adorable?
Whether you notice them or not, quiet people are the ones that been there the whole time.
There is a reason why silence, my friend, is gold. I always think silence is an art.
Next time, try to notice someone who is being quiet all alone, while other people are busy chattering and laughing and decided not to speak to that someone. Unless you're Sherlock Holmes, you can't really deduce what that person has in mind at that time.
They might be wondering why nobody bothers to talk to them, wondering if people apparently dislike them, wondering if they might be annoying to people, wondering what clique they should join first in order to make friends, wondering if they could make any new friends after all, or even wondering if they could accept the idea of being forever alone...
I did that. Lots of times. Especially when I got into a new class. I've always imagined how awkward my daily conversations would be, how my new friends would be like, what kind of clique I'd fit into, and those kind of stuffs.
By now I have friends - quite a lot, big achievement for someone like me - I still like spending some time alone, like in class, during the break, when everyone is too busy doing things to actually notice me - or when I turn down my friends when they ask me whether I'd join them to canteen or not. I like being quiet when everyone's talking, and vice versa. I guess it's just in my nature to rebel. I wish. Ha.
But seriously, I do that. Everyone's talking, and I just sat there listening to their noises. Talking about people, about the notes on the whiteboard, about the card plays, about computer games, about their activities last night... Oh, aren't ordinary people adorable?
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