Monday, July 30, 2007

Antara Menangis dan Menghitung Sisa

Sore ini, tiba-tiba terkenang tentang delapan bulan lalu. Ketika tanah yang kujejak masihlah tanah merah bumi pertiwi. Ketika Indonesia kutinggalkan, dan air mata bertaburan untuk dan olehku. Pelukan dibuat dan dilepaskan. Hati terkoyak.

Kembali ingat betapa tangisku pecah di pelukan Mama. Betapa adikku tak hentinya menangisiku dan meragukan keberaniannya melepasku berhari-hari sebelum keberangkatanku. Papa yang tetap tegar dan menjadi sandaran mereka berdua. Teman-teman, oh teman-temanku, kalian tidak pernah tahu betapa aku dikuatkan dan juga dikoyakkan oleh keberadaan kalian!

Di gerbang akhir airport, tempat aku berjalan menjauhi keluargaku yang mengantarku, oh, tahukah kalian betapa matinya kakiku, betapa mereka menolak digerakkan jauh dari pandangan-pandangan kasih dan air mata mereka? Namun kakiku melangkah juga. Langkah kecil menuju kedewasaan.

Terduduk di pesawat. Air mata kuhapus perlahan. Macbook kunyalakan. Tulisanku yang pertama di atas pesawat lahir. Say Goodbye dari S Club 7 berdengung berulang-ulang, mewakili suara hatiku.

Hari bersejarah itu, tanggal 27 November 2007, hari yang disertai malam panjang penuh kesepian dan pedihnya hati, tapi keyakinan bahwa kami akan bertemu lagi suatu hari sambil tertawa dan menyambut peluk.

Yah, sebut aku seorang perenung dan nostalgis. Hampir air mata menetes lagi, betapa hati teriris mengenang malam sedih itu, betapa jauhnya aku dari mereka sekarang.

Tadi waktu mandi sore, aku teringat dan menyenandungkan lagu ini di tengah air yang suam dan udara yang membeku.

ajar kami Tuhan, menghitung hari-hari
agar kami beroleh hati bijaksana

ajar kami Bapa, hidup dalam jalan-Mu
agar semua rencana-Mu digenapi

mulialah nama-Mu Tuhan, dan ajaib jalan-Mu
bimbing kami di setiap waktu

besar setia-Mu Tuhan, agunglah karya-Mu
Yesus kami bersyukur pada-Mu

Entah bagaimana, hinu klasik yang ditulis Robert & Lea terekam di memoriku beberapa tahun lalu dan terputar indah kembali hari ini. Hari-hari ini, di saat rasa kangenku sedang kuat-kuatnya. Di saat hari kepulanganku sudah bisa terhitung.

Ya, kata itu. Hitung.

Di Brazil, rasanya begitu lambat waktu berlalu pada awalnya. Aku yang jauh dari mana-mana, kesepian, bagaikan bisu karena tidak mengerti Portugis, dan patahnya semangatku di mana seolah-olah seorangpun tidak mengertinya.

Lalu datang hari-hari sekolah. Hari-hari aku mulai membuka mulut dan berbicara, dengan Portugisku yang terbata-bata, bagaikan anak kecil yang belajar melangkah. Aku bangkit, melangkah perlahan, lalu mulai berlari.

Saat mulai berlari, seakan aku lupa menghitung. Jauh, jauh dan semakin jauh, dari berjalan, berlari, akupun terbang. Dan akhirnya tibalah aku di hari ini. Hari di mana aku melihat kembali ke belakang, mengamati jejak-jejakku yang kutinggalkan. Baik dalam memori di ingatan orang-orang, dalam jurnal-jurnal kertas dan elektronikku.

Sudah delapan bulan sekarang. Rasanya baru kemarin aku kehilangan pasport dan 900 US$ di Guarulhos, São Paulo, dan menemukannya kembali. Rasanya belum lama aku belajar Portugis, sepertinya masih kemarin aku datang, sebagai seorang putra Indonesia yang tidak berpengalaman, sangat kanak-kanak, dan lugu. Seperti baru beberapa minggu lalu aku diajak menginjakkan kaki di Califórnia. Sudah delapan bulan.

Seorang sahabatku baru-baru ini pindah ke Australia. Higher education, katanya. Belum sebulan dari empat tahun ia di sana, ia kangen berat dengan kami, dengan Indonesia. Berapa kali kudengar aduan dan sakitnya di Friendster, rindunya dengan makanan, teman-teman, dan hidupnya di Indonesia.

Mengingatkanku akan diriku, di awal-awal bulanku di tempat ini. Dulu aku begitu takut, khawatir akan ini itu, tapi puji Tuhan aku punya Tuhan yang mengasihiku. Aku lewati hari demi hari, kadang dengan kebingungan akan tujuanku, dan akhirnya tibalah pada sekarang.

Dan kini, satu bulan lagi. Lima minggu tepatnya. Sudah berapa jauh aku bertumbuh, aku tidak tahu. Hari-hari sudah terhitung. Tuhan tahu betapa aku rindu Indonesia. Rindu pulang, mengembalikan pelukan-pelukan cinta yang kubawa pergi tahun lalu, menghapus air mata dan penantian mereka dengan senyuman.

Tapi kembali terefleksi, apakah tujuan Tuhan terpenuhi dalam hidupku di tempat ini? Dalam banyak hal aku bertumbuh, dalam banyak hal aku mengembangkan cabang. Terbuka mata, terbuka telinga dan juga mulut, terhadap dunia. Bagai tanaman kecil, aku menguatkan akar-akarku dan bersiap menjadi pohon. Ataukah aku masih sebutir benih yang menolak pecah dan mati, untuk lahirnya tanaman baru?

Tuhan, biarlah sisa ini bermakna.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

kangen.

hmm. tadinya ingin menulis ini dalam bahasa inggris, tapi situasi tidak memungkinkan.

hmm. pengen ketik aja, aku sedang kangen. kangen aja sama mereka. sama sepasang orang. sama seorang yang lebih kecil. sama seseorang. seseorang lain, dan seseorang lagi, dan lagi, dan lagi, tidak terhitung banyaknya. mungkin seharusnya aku tidak bisa kangen sama salah satu seseorang itu. mungkin orang yang tidak kukangeni malah mengangeni aku setengah mati. mungkin aku tidak hanya kangen sama orang, tapi juga sama hidangan kuliner indonesia. komunitasku. semua.

ah, posting bodoh, posting kangen. tchau.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Quiz, Quiz, Quiz...

Okay. Somebody not so long ago sent me to do this quiz, but I just forgot and today I re-read it at Amanda's blog, and I decided to just do it. Have a little fun after a long day. So here goes...

grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4!
"Claramente, eu vi." Hahaha... It's a Portuguese book, titled A Menina que Roubava Livros (Book Thief)

stretch your left arm out as far as you can!
Some 'clicks' came out..

what is the last thing you watched on tv?
Salão de Barulha, Queen Latifah's movie. Title translated. English title, unknown.

without looking, guess what time it is!
Hmmm.. about 9.30?

now look at the clock. what is the actual time?
9.39. Haha good shot Sam!

with the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Television sound system's high bass, from the TV room.

when did you last step outside?
I just got home actually... Went to my Brazilian great-grandparent's house for dinner.

what were you doing?
Had dinner.

before you started this survey, what did you look at?
My blog, other people's blog... Not much.

what are you wearing?
An old yellow sweater, an OP T-shirt, a jeans, a pair of socks, and my Chuck Brazilian Edition.

did you dream last night?
Hmm... Can't remember.

when did you last laugh?
I just did. Ha-ha-ha.

what are on the walls you are in?
What the...

seen anything weird lately?
This quiz.

what do you think of this quiz?
Whatever...

what is the last film you saw?
Salão de Barulha.

if you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
I'd invest on stocks, gold, open a multi-national clothing company (look out adidas, nike, here I come!), get houses for my parents and my family, but most importantly, do all that silently. Nobody could know about my money. Haha!

tell me something about you that i don't know.
I love barbecue? Weird question...

if you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Hmmm... The morality. I would like to see the standard of morality of this world raise up again.

do you like to dance?
Depends...

imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Hmm... 'Cece' would do.

imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
'Koko' would do. Hahaha how uncreative I am... Well don't blame me, I'm not married yet...

would you ever consider living abroad?
I surely am. I love travelling.

what do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
"I have been waiting for you, Samuel. You did a good job, son. Come and join your Father's happiness. I had a big party just for you!"

Monday, July 16, 2007

My Brazilian Birthday Story

Okaayy!! Aku akan menulis dengan Bahasa Indonesia yang Baik dan Benar kali ini... Capek juga ngepost Inggris terus.

Sahabat-sahabat, Samuel Ray Limas baru saja ulang tahun. Tanggal 15 Juli 2007 lalu, memasuki usianya yang ke-18. Ulang tahun pertamanya di luar negara dan pelukan orang-orang tercintanya. Tapi puji Tuhan, karena pemeliharaan-Nya dia tetap bisa merasakan kasih sayang dari sahabat-sahabat barunya di Brasil, yang Tuhan kirimkan untuk mewarnai ulang tahunnya lebih indah.

Jadi, tanggal 15 Juli pagi hari, Rotary sudah menyiapkan satu barbecue besar di ranch-nya Diogo, salah satu member club. Barbecue yang sebenarnya tidak spesial diadakan untukku, tapi memang sudah merupakan tradisi keluarga Rotary Club Califórnia untuk bertemu dan mengadakan hari keluarga di barbecue itu setiap sekian bulan sekali. Tepat juga hari itu ulang tahunku. Jadi mereka siapkan tiga kue, bertumpuk-tumpuk daging dan sosis, soda dan bir dingin untuk pesta kami.

Dan hari itu benar-benar asyik dan seru. Kami pulang pesta lebih awal, karena keluarga inang pertamaku bilang mereka mau adakan pesta kecil lagi di rumah mereka untukku. Di rumah mereka aku dibuatkan "fundi", sejenis kudapan Italia terbuat dari buah-buahan dan keju yang dipotong kecil-kecil dan dimakan sambil dicelupkan ke dalam coklat yang dilelehkan. Enak! Banyak sepupu-sepupu Brasilku datang, dan kami berpesta kecil dengan makanan itu. Hari itu dingin, tapi jadi hangat dengan kedatangan sahabat-sahabat dan keluarga. Aku tinggal di sana hari itu, menginap satu malam. Hari diakhiri dengan turnamen Mario Party di Gamecube mereka.

Ulang tahun yang indah. Aku dapat hadiah dua pesta yang seru, dan celana jeans dari keluarga pertamaku. Hadiah lainnya adalah ucapan selamat dan dukungan tak terkira banyaknya dari teman-teman di orkut, friendster, dan pembaca-pembaca blog ini. Terima kasih semuanya! Kalian, meskipun jauh, telah mewarnai ulang tahunku lewat kepedulian kalian di dunia maya!

Untuk berbagi sedikit gambaran sukacita yang kunikmati hari itu, Di bawah ini kutampilkan slide foto dan beberapa foto penting di hari ulang tahunku. Maaf kalau terlalu banyak foto, aku tahu internet Indonesia yang lambat. Tapi memori ini terlalu indah untuk kusimpan sendiri.









Haha, ceritaku belum habis! Beberapa hari setelah aku ulang tahun, Mama dan aku bertukar cerita lewat Windows Live Messenger. Beliau, seperti semua Mama yang baik, mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun. Kami ngobrol dan bertukar cerita. Di akhir ceritaku tentang gemerlap dan indahnya ulang tahunku di negara orang ini, beliau bertanya, "Apa yang jadi perenunganmu di ulang tahun ini, Samuel?"

Aku tertegun merenung. Benar-benar merenungkan ulang tahunku adalah hal terakhir yang ada di dalam pikiranku. Ulang tahun di luar negeri, jauh dari rumah dan orang-orang yang kukasihi, membuatku lupa bahwa aku terus menua, dan harus seiringnya menjadi dewasa.

Kujawab jujur pada beliau, bahwa aku tidak memikirkan satupun perenungan kedewasaan dalam ulang tahunku hari ini. Dalam hati aku merasa sudah bertumbuh banyak, dan rasanya tidak perlu mengembangkan apapun lagi di usiaku yang kini 18 tahun. Beliau dengan bijak menjawab, "Setiap kali kamu semakin tua, harus ada yang menjadi perenunganmu. Jangan lupakan perenungan dan kerendahan hati di tengah-tengah gemerlapnya hidup yang kau jalani sekarang..."

Pagi ini aku berbincang-ketik dengan seorang mantan teman kostku. Aku bicara padanya tentang visi dan masa depan. Dia bicara padaku tentang orang tuanya yang tidak ingin dia mengejar mimpi keluar negeri. Takut, katanya. Aku bicara lagi tentang mempunyai mimpi. Dan bertanyalah dia dengan polos, "mimpi lu apa sih Sam?"

Sekali lagi aku tertegun. Setelah Brazil, mau kemana kamu? Bukan berarti pencapaian yang tinggi ini, berani ke luar negeri sendiri dan lain-lain, lalu dengan pujian dan sahutan kekaguman teman-temanmu, kamu bisa berhenti BERMIMPI!!

Kujawab temanku dengan tergagap, menceritakan sedikit rencana masa depanku. Mimpi, aku punya. Tapi jujur aku belum mengejarnya dengan sungguh-sungguh hari-hari ini. Kuhabiskan waktu di depan internet dan komputer, apa yang mesti kukerjakan tidak kupenuhi, dan meskipun aku ingin setengah mati dapat beasiswa ke Jepang, aku tidak membantu Mamaku melengkapi aplikasinya. Hanya setengah hati saja. Sampai beliau mesti marah dan mendesak-desakku bergerak. Maafkan aku ya Ma!

Kembali Tuhan menunjukkan kasih setia-Nya padaku. Ia terus memberikan arahan, cinta, dan dorongan-Nya lewat hal-hal yang tidak kusangka-sangka. Di saat aku malas dan tidak mau bergerak, Dia menegurku lewat orang-orang di sekitarku. Aku bersyukur punya Tuhan seperti-Nya.

Teman-teman, Tuhan itu ada. Tuhan hidup, Tuhan nyata, Tuhan itu sekarang, dan Dia rindu berbicara denganmu. Atau mungkin Dia sudah mulai berbicara dan mengetuk pintu hatimu, sejak lama. Tapi untuk mendengar-Nya, sulit bagimu, karena dunia ini terlalu berisik. Terlalu banyak suara. Tenangkan hati, kawan. Dengarkan Tuhan mengarahkan hidupmu.

Friday, July 13, 2007

The Best Birthday Present Ever

Guys, for me, this is so touching and special... Thank you my family in Indonesia! You are the best, always special, and always in my heart! I love you all!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

The End of Doraemon


As you know, Doraemon is a story with no ending, but this small story is about the "last episode" of the famous cartoon. Someone made this story and uploaded it to his homepage, and it is now widely spread all around Japan through the internet.

Here it goes;

One day,a very normal day, Nobita came back from school and went upstairs of his house. Doraemon was there sleeping, just like the other normal day. "Hey, Doraemon, please wake up, lets play!"

But Doraemon does not wake up. Nobita thought that Doraemon is tired, so he went out to play with Shizuka-chan and other folks. After few hours, he returned to his home, but Doraemon was still sleeping. Nobita felt something strange, and tried to wake him up. But there was no reply. He became to feel afraid, and tried to wake him up, but whatever he does, Doraemon did not wake up. Nobita exactly knew that something was different. This never happened before. He began crying, but though he screamed or cried, the famous fat-cat-robot did not make a single move at all. He came up to one idea, and jumped into his desk -the time machine-and went to the future to meet Dorami-chan, Doraemon's sister. He begged her for help, and forced her to go with him back to 1998.

After a short trip again back to 1998 by the time machine, Dorami-chan looked all over his brother Doraemon to see what was wrong with him. After few minutes, she said "the battery is out" Nobita was relieved, and said, "battery? so he is not broken right? please replace or recharge his battery, and put him back like before" But Dorami-chan shook her head and said, "Nobita-san, should I really do that?" Nobita said "what? what do you mean?" Dorami-chan replied; "His main battery is here, close to his pocket. And it ran out. But originally, he had a back-up battery in his ears, but as you know, his ears were eaten by a rat very many years ago, so he does not have a back-up battery now" "so what do you mean?" "I mean, if I replace his battery, every memory of you will be eternally lost from his brain program" "WHAT?????" "Shall I do that?" Nobita closed his eyes. He cried, but after few minutes, he stopped crying, and quietly told Dorami-chan, "Dorami-chan, thanks for coming here. I will take care of the rest. You have to go back to your future time now"

Dorami-chan could not decide what to do, but anyway she hugged Nobita quietly, and she went
back home. After she went back, Nobita carried Doraemon and placed him into the shelf.

...........TIME FLIES..........

Year 2010, Nobita grew up. Since that day, he changed. He studied hard, did not cry anymore, and he lived without Doraemon. He told Shizuka and other folks that Doraemon had to go
back to his future, and could not meet him anymore. Shizuka was impressed to Nobita's
mysterious appearance which became completely different from 10 years ago. They fell in love, and married. Nobita became a scientist. He made a laboratory in his room, and was studying hard with his job all day.

He told Shizuka not to come into the room, as it is very dangerous inside. But one day, he called
Shizuka and told her to come in to his room. It was the first time for her to enter his husband's
room. The moment she went in, she lost her words ......

There was her friend Doraemon, who she used to play in her childhood days. Doraemon was not
moving. It seemed as he was sleeping. "Look, Shizuka, I will plug in from now" Nobita turned on
the main switch on Doraemon. Doraemon quietly, very quietly started to open his eyes. It was the moment the inventor of Doraemon became clear. It was Nobita. He studied hard and hard just to meet and talk with his old friend again. Going back and forth of time, Nobita was the one who made Doraemon. He discovered all the programs and archetecture of Doraemon-type-robot. Nobita and Shizuka was crying gently. Doraemon opened his eyes. He looked around, and finally said, "Nobita-kun, did you finish your homework?" There was the same white clouds in the sky like the times they used to spend together...

***

Although I'm not sure yet is this story genuine or not, because it's not officially launched from the writer of this serie, isn't that beautiful end for a legendary manga? Doraemon, I love you! For the manga version of this story in English (slightly different), click here

A Man After My Own Heart

"I have found David the son of Jesse,
a man after My own heart,
who will do all My will."
(acts 13:22)


A new post, a new day!

Friends, these days I have been reading a lot from the book of Psalms. And something somehow urged me to write, about the great king that made this book, king David.

Writing here doesn't mean I will be talking about his biography, how many cities he had won, how big his kingdom is, but I will talk today about his relationship with The Almighty.

David wrote the biggest book of songs in the bible. After Psalms there is Solomon's Songs of Solomon, but David's book were wider and deeper about God.

As I flipped through the book of Psalms, I found how normal David was. He got tired, he got physically ill, he could be afraid of his enemies, and sometimes he even got disappointed with God. As a king that ruled a great region, David had lots of problems. I imagined being him on his days, and all I saw was a great responsibility of ruling a great country. I imagined how David must kept his wisdom sharp, how he had to be alert of enemy threat all of the time, he had to train his soldiers, feed his people, and keep the country prospering. Only on thought of that made me shiver, thinking how difficult it must've been.

But reading through the book over and over, I never found any single sentence of being disappointed in following God. Yes he got tired, yes he got pursued by his enemies, but through all that, David never ever blame God. On every end of his Psalm, he thanked God, wrote how in awe he was of his God, no matter how hard the situation is, he kept believing that God is big and faithful, and will get him out of everything in His time, no matter what.

How submitted he was, was shown in Psalm 16:8, for example. David wrote,

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

And I thought to myself, how could he be so sure and secure?

David was 100 percent certain that God will take care of his life. Why? The answer came right away: David lived in a manner of pleasing God.

David knew that without God he would be nothing, and that he couldn't go alone. As great as a king, he never forgot that God was in total control of His life. He knew that if his way of life is pleasing God, God will bless him and expand him, making his life fruitful. And in David's case, God expanded his kingdom and treasuries.

How far did David went in pleasing God? We got to our first lesson. David went undivided. He gave all of him. As I gazed back to the Bible, as long as I can remember, it was only David that was brave enough to say these words in Psalm 16:3:

You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

And repeated in Psalm 26, and 139:23, that David kept daring God to test his heart and see his motives, for he knew that he lived according to God's righteousness.

The second thing I learned from David, what made him so faithful to God, was how he understood that following God is not always an easy way. As I wrote earlier, David encountered difficulties, lost in battles, death of his children, and all that gave him reason to be upset and angry with God.

Yet, he didn't.

David knew this. (Psalm 119:75)

I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

David knew he was serving a faithful God, that was fair and just, and that the difficulties he was facing was a way of God to made him mature. So faced with problems, yes it brought him down, yet he didn't choose to stay on the floor. But he learned from what he faced, and be wiser and closer to God with it.

The final thing I saw in David was, that he saw God's word as the source of his strength. He knew that he would perish and be nothing without God's word (Psalm 119:92-93), He knew that God's word gave him wisdom (Psalm 119:98-100), and so proud and in love with God's word, David even dared that he could testify of it in front of kings and will not be ashamed (Psalm 119:46).

He loved God's word, and meditated on it, gave him strength and ability to do what God wanted him to do, to decide what was right and to stay faithful to God.

This, friends, is a wonderful way of living. On David's era, he lived under the law of torah, which demanded more and knew no forgiveness in any way. Yet he decided to live flawless before God, pleasing him in all that he did. Shouldn't we be ashamed, as we live after the death of Jesus Christ, after His blood was shed for our forgiveness, heiyet we still cannot live the way David lived, blameless and pure?
David's way of life was a way that pleased God. He was so pleased that He called him a man after My own heart. This is the lifestyle we should pursue. Lifestyle of covenant, lifestyle that pleases God. Would it be an amazing feeling, having the Creator of this world calling you a man after His own heart?

As I reflect now, living radically for God and worldly, will both make you tired. If you follow the lifestyle of this world, having a "free" way of living, following trends, modes, feeling insecure all the time, that will toast up your energy. As David, if you would choose to follow God differently and radically, burn in a higher level than before, you will still face problems, you will still be tired. But the difference from living in the way of this world is, you will have a great God that would take care of you. He would sustain you and keep you safe, for He had promised in Isaiah 49:15:

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you."

On this promise, David, Samuel, Ruth, and many other amazing people of God written and unwritten on the Bible had stand. I will stand on this promise, letting God work in His way, knowing that I am unforgettable to Him.

And I am happy, although most of the times I still cannot see what God is planning. I am content and patient, waiting God's way to be opened. I dare you today to do the same. Follow God like David. Follow God undivided.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

randomness prevails

ok guys! here I am again.. writing in English.

well... these days I have been really focusing on working things out with my blogs. been re-learning HTML again, asking here and there about tricks and stuff... well I don't see anything better to do either, since the weather has been really cold these days.

speaking about the weather, have you guys seen those old wild west cowboys movie where there were two cowboy shooter who were gonna have a gun fight... and the ambient was so silent and motionless, that you can hear wind blowing? like wuuufhhhh... like that?
well last night, as I was sitting in front of the computer, listening to music and replying to messages, I could actually, literally, heard the wind blowing on the road, through the trees. isn't that scary in some way? not thinking of ghost myths and all, I'm talking about the coldness you might feel outside. with wind blowing that strong, wearing two jackets on top of the other wouldn't even help much. that was scary.

I'm posting some more pictures... I learnt recently that blogging without putting pictures would be dull... so now I will start off with this flick from a Rotary meeting I attended on Monday, in Cambira.


Okay. there is actually not much to see in this picture. the meeting we had that night was more boring than a golf game. what I liked from the room was the big rotary logo on the wall... showing that the place actually had its identity.

about the existence of this picture, there's a little work of boredom behind the scene... having nothing to do after the dinner, I took picture of this Guarana drink. Looks like it could be a part of a good commercial, yah? =)

And finally, this is a picture that I took last night, a picture of a gecko. this is the first time, after nearly 8 months staying in Brazil, that I see a gecko. it was small and really quiet, I found it staying motionless under the bathroom pot. even the poor animal kept motionless after three camera flashes.

here he is...


and there goes. total randomness. I'll think of a better post next time. sorry...

*disappointed to self**

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

satu lagu di kepalaku

hehehehe. posting pake bahasa indonesia lagi. hari ini benar-benar hari 'blog' buat aku... dari tadi pagi kerjaannya di komputer, buka-buka blog orang, ngisi entry, ini udah yang kedua hari ini. biasanya aku sehari tuh satu doang, hahahaha...

jadi... entry ini simple aja sih. tiba-tiba pas ngebuka blognya amanda, aku ngeliat teks lagunya GMB yang judulnya Tiada Seperti-Mu. Udah lama banget ngga ngedenger lagu ini, sejak laptop gw rusak sekitar satu setengah bulan lalu. Terus ngebaca teksnya di blog tadi, keingetan lagi... Betapa dulu aku seneng banget sama lagu satu ini, nyantol di kepala sampe berhari-hari, dan rasanya pengen denger terus. diingetin lagi kalo Tuhan udah sangat baik dalam hidupku, dan anugrah-Nya emang ngga pernah berubah dan makin melimpah...

lalu ketemu deh lagunya di imeem! Puji Tuhan! buat yang mau dengerin, silahkan lihat teks dan playernya di bawah ya... post ini kututup... =)



AnugrahMu kepadaku tak pernah berubah
PerbuatanMu terlukiskan di dalam hatiku
Tercengangku dibuatMu ku kagum padaMu
Tak ada hal di hidupku terluput dariMu
Kau indah, Kau mulia tiada s'pertiMu
Ku ingin hidupku menyenangkanMu

Kau terawal dan terakhir pencipta s'galanya
S'luruh bintang pun bersinar oleh ucapanMu
Engkau pun mengasihiku penulis hidupku
Tak henti seg'nap nafasku menyembahMu s'lalu
Kupuji, kusembah tiada s'pertiMu
Ku ingin hidupku menyenangkanMu

reff :

S'gala puji s'gala hormat
Seg'nap hatiku menyembahMu
Terimalah seg'nap hidupku
S'bagai persembahan yang hidup

bridge :
Bukan kehendakku, namun kehendakMu
Hidupku bagiMu
Kau indah, Kau mulia
Kuingin hidupku menyenangkanMu

-by:GMB-

oh dear kesemek...

This afternoon, as suddenly there was a burst of blog hopping desire in my blood, I decided to follow the links people left on my shout box, opening one blog to another... and finally I got this funny site about labeling here.

As I scrolled down, I found a fruit name that somehow sounded familiar to me, yet it hasn't been spoken in public for quite a long time. The fruit is KESEMEK. (well it is Indonesian, still I have to make this blog understandable for my fellow people)

Then as I read the Latin name for this fruit, the blog said that it was diospyros kaki. Suddenly I remembered the fruit I have been eating here in Brazil. The fruit looked like tomatoes from the outside, even when you bite it it would still have this tomato structure inside. Only, it was sweet. Not containing any sour taste like tomato.

I kept getting confused, not knowing if the fruit exist or not in my origin land, for I never heard of it mentioned. And today, I finally found out that diospyros kaki / kesemek / kaki (portuguese) is indeed the same fruit!!

Here it is! Picture linked from Wikipedia.

It is said in the Wikipedia Indonesian version that this fruit is actually tasted sepet. I don't know how to describe sepet in English, maybe it's like tasting the rubber of your sandals. Hahahaha. And this sepet taste unable it to be eaten directly. There is still a little process needed to eliminate the sepet. If you are an Indonesian speaking reader, read the complete information here.

But weirdly, the Brazilian kesemek (or kaki) that I have been eating never tasted sepet. All tasted sweet like, like... like sugar! And there were no processing at all needed for this fruit to be enjoyed.

So... this time it is, I guess. Some entry about a Brazilian fruit, Kaki, which indeed exist in Indonesia, with a different name, and a little different taste. Thanks for reading! =)

Monday, July 9, 2007

Campo Largo, Curitiba, and Back Again

Great! Another chance for me to show few snatches from my SP-350. So here's the story...

This weekend was the week I have been waiting for is finally there! The week I will take my IELTS test. To be honest, I wasn't preparing that much, considering my confidence in English and my everyday practice in English conversation and listening with my friends. Haha, confidence is a good thing!

So I went to a city called Campo Largo, at Friday (06/07/07) morning. I took a 10 o'clock bus from California, spent long entire day inside a not-so-cozy bus that kept stopping at places. It's not that it annoys me, but this whole stopping-from-town-to-town thing made my trip slower.

In-bus-view.
Watch the speed, listen to the coughing people, admire the beautiful view, then you'll understand my phrase of 'not-so-cozy'.


I finally got to Campo Largo at about 3-4 o'clock in the afternoon. I had to wait at a gas station, and seeing no one was there to pick me up, I initiated a call. Tried to call Itamar, my Brazilian dad, but without credit on my phone, I attempted a call on which the call cost will be placed on Itamar's tab. Without knowledge that I have called from the different area code, I called on Itamar's number without adding the areal code before, which brought me calling another person, that said I have called the wrong number. Unbelieving, because once Itamar had wrongly recognized my voice, I called three more times, which in the end the guy finally picked up and got terribly angry, saying, "por favor cara, estou trabalhando aqui, voce fica ligando e eu tem que paga na minha conta tambem!! eu nao tem filho chamado samuel, voce nao e meu filho cara!" (man, please, I am working here, while you kept calling and I'M the one that have to pay the call cost!! I don't have any son called samuel, you're not my son!)

Hahahahaha... pissed off but felt sorry about the guy, I turned off the call. Then I called Eunapio, the guy that's supposed to pick me up, and thank God, he was there. I am finally at his house. That afternoon I got to know the family better, they have three cool kids called Akson (19), Adrial (17), and Natani (11). Yes I know, Brazilian names are sometimes weird, but hey, what it is in a name, right?

Later that night, breaking my plans of staying home that night and studying, this family took me out to a family dinner with their friends. I got to know more people, talked a little, was admired being an exchange student, and finally we had dinner. It was fish, and I was meat fasting, so there wasn't much to eat. The fish looked good though. After dinner, I played with the kids there, helping them putting some things together on their computer.

(left to right) Natani, Adrial, Cassia, and Renan. Having good time with their computer.

So there we were all night, playing computer while the parents are having after-dinner talk. What I noticed from this family were their life were so simple and happy. Their house was not that big, their clothes and computer were simple, but they love life and God. And I think it was all that matters.

All they did that night were playing some poor imitation of Who Wants to be a Millionaire bible-version, DXBall (a modern version of "Pong"), and watched some biblical presentation. And they were (to my amazement) extremely happy! When you see how simple and humble people live, suddenly you would realize how God had really put great things in your life.

That day ended awesome. I went home exhausted and sleepy, but I slept well (even managed to read my bible and study a little before I sleep!) and woke up eight o'clock in the morning.
Took shower, made myself up, and finally got on the bus with Akson to face my big test day.

Curitiba was the most beautiful city I have seen so far. Sao Paulo was great, but it was too big and crowded. Curitiba was like in the middle. There was not that much car, the air was amazingly refreshing, there was huge tall apartments all over the place, making you feel small walking around the city. The only thing I remembered disliking from the city was the super strong wind.

We got to the Central Cultura Inglesa early. Way too early. We still had time for a few cup of coffee and tea, and even got to know some of the other IELTS candidates. Surprisingly, most of them were older and looked smarter than me! Which is nothing intimidating, because I know it wasn't a competition, it just surprised me how old these test-takers were.

Inside look of the Central Cultura Inglesa Curitiba.
Feel the vibe. Feel the silence. The place is amazing isn't it?

Finally at about 10.45, the test began. The first was a conversation test. The test was given by Marry, a woman from Holland that had been living in Brazil for quite some time. She was nice, and later I knew that she was the one that been responding my English e-mails to the test center. The fun thing happened when one of the interview question popped up as, "tell me your most wonderful experience attending one big event that bring many people together". I responded, the event was a youth crusade my church made, called Come Home, last year. She looked surprised, and later told me that she's a Presbyterian! She invited me to her church, asked me about my t-shirt (I was wearing a brown 'i'm addicted to purity' jesusbranded shirt), and in the end we had a nice goodbye. I felt so positive!

Then we had a break until 12.45. During the break I and Akson went out eating vegetarian pizza, take a walk around town, and I got to know Akson better with his passion about cars and life. He was a cool guy. We went back stomach-stuffed (I ate three big slices of pizza and Akson ate even more: five) to the test center and I finally faced the listening, reading, and writing test.

The whole remaining test took about four hours. It was not exhausting, the test was mostly easy, but you have to be really paying attention. Thank God I finished wonderfully. Let's just wait for the result in two weeks from now.

As we finished in 4 PM, I didn't have more time to go around town, because Akson had to go to church at 6. So we took a bus back home. Oh there is something cool about transportation in Curitiba, though. They have this beautiful long orange bus, a neat bus station, a similar-with-transjakarta in town transportation, and be said that Curitiba had the best transportation system in Brazil. Next time I will put some pictures here about the city.

We went back to Campo Largo, and Akson showed me this fun-looked-like-pasar-baru-alley, all lighted up and with all the stores open, there were even this one chinese food restaurant. Considering the alley looked exactly like Pasar Baru (minus the huge roof and wider alley Pasar Baru has), I was amazed and took a moment to memorize it.

There I was, posing happily next to a lamp stand in Brazilian Pasar Baru.

And here goes the video. You didn't think I would leave it out did you?

Continuing home, I passed a catholic church in the town center. There was this tall black cross with the writing "Unidos Em Cristo", meaning United in Christ. Loved the cross' prominent position and the brave sentence, I took a picture of it here:


A surprise waited for me at home. Akson's mother said that her sister-in-law and her family wanted to see me before I went home that night. It was Saturday, about five o'clock in the afternoon, and the family were preparing to go to church. Seeing no more reason to stay at their house, I gave the housewife a nice Indonesian scarf, left some souvenirs for the kids, and hopped in the car, where they then took me to their family's house. I found out that this next family were also a relative of Itamar. The head of the house (Clayton) was Itamar's oldest brother.

When I got there, they were having a little party, because it was someone's birthday three days ago. I jumped in the fun, had some cake, sodas, and chatted with people. Then we rented a movie and watched Superman Returns (it was a good movie, I will review it another day), then chatted again.

The photo I took few moments before I left Clayton's family home. Look at the smile at those faces... ^^

People there LOVED me! There was this sort of amusement of first-time-receiving-an-exchange-student-in-our-house, and they treated me so special! They sat with me, talked and explained about the city, about their kids, about their family life, and how difficult it is to survive life these days. Yes sir I know that! =)

And there was this little girl called Tatu, aged about 8, she and her friend kept following me that whole afternoon. I was watching TV, and she kept passing and running in front of me to get my attention. She would then giggle if I smile at her. She would then whistle, called me, gave me the TV remote control, and giggle and giggle again. When I had a talk with her dad, she would sat on her daddy's lap and just STARED blankly amazed at me, until I thought maybe there were something wrong with my face. Even when I took shower later that night, I heard whistles outside the bathroom window, and when I came out, these two girls were giggling and running away from me. Hmm... I was speechless.

Tatu (in orange) and her friend. Even they kept giggling when we took this picture.

After taking those pictures, I said goodbye and gave the kids my infamous 'I Love Indonesia' buttons. They were happy and put it instantly on their shirts! Still at the picture I took with Tatu and her friend, you can find my buttons on their shirts.

To my surprise, Clayton's wife gave me this beautiful Converse All-Star Miniature keychain, saying that she would have given me something more special and more 'Campo Largo' if only she knew I was coming. Isn't that sweet?

And here is the keychain now! Hanging beautifully on my Rotary Blazer.

And about 10.15 that night, Clayton and a friend took me to the bus station. People waved goodbye, Tatu and her giggle-all-the-time friend giggled and said "tchau!", and there I left, leaving smile on everyone's faces.

The bus got to Campo Largo at 10.45. A lot later than I thought it would, even I feared of not getting home that night and lost my ticket money, because the bus left me. But it was there finally.

Night trip was faster. I slept for about three hours, and finally got home. Arrived at California at 4 AM.

And my amazing weekend ended!! How great it is to be able to see two cities, to meet so many new people, to be loved and remembered, to finish one big test that determine my future, all only in two amazing days! I'm thankful to God for this chance, and I really will miss this people when I have left Brazil.

So I guess this will close my post for now. See you in more stories to come! Love you guys!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Tuhan...

Tuhan,

Sekarang jam setengah dua belas malam. Tadi kuputuskan berdoa di kamar tapi kurasa tidak akan khusyuk, jadi kutuangkan hatiku di sini saja.

Aku sedang kangen sekali dengan rumah. Yah, aku tahu ini topik yang sudah keluar berulang kali, tapi tetap saja hari-hari ini kembali terangkat lagi. Aku kangen dengan Indonesia, keluargaku, gerejaku, teman-temanku, semuanya.

Setelah ngobrol sama Papa dan Mama kemarin malam, banyak hal baru terbukakan juga. Aku melihat Engkau melakukan banyak perubahan dalam hidup mereka, mereka punya tujuan hidup yang lebih jelas, dan masing-masing pelan-pelan menyadari bagiannya dalam membangun kerajaan-Mu.

Juga terkenang kembali teman-teman di Indonesia. Mereka yang kutinggalkan, mereka yang mungkin tidak akan kutemui lagi untuk empat tahun ke depan... Mereka yang kusakiti dan belum kumintai maaf. Mereka yang jatuh bangun dan tidak sempat kupapah. Tuhan, aku merasa aku harus segera kembali untuk mereka semua. Tidak kulihat orang lain yang bisa mengisi peranku di hati mereka. Tidak menyombong, tapi aku merasa aku bisa membuat perbedaan dalam hidup mereka hanya dengan sekedar tinggal di dekat mereka.

Meskipun konyol, rasanya juga aku rindu makanan Indonesia. Tadi siang aku masak mie instan, dan aku rindu dengan mie instan Indonesia, yang meskipun bahan penyusunnya nggak jelas, tapi enak. Mie di sini tidak ada rasanya, Tuhan. Untuk membuat pedas mie yang tadi siang, harus kumasukkan lima sendok sambal. Itu untuk ukuranku yang tidak kuat pedas lho. Lima sendok sambal di sini rasanya hanya asin-asin kecut saja.

Melayani-Mu di tempat ini rasanya melelahkan. Sering kali aku menemukan hal-hal baru dalam perjalananku dengan-Mu, tapi untuk membagikannya ke orang lain, kesulitanlah yang kutemukan. Bahasaku tidak maksimal, keberanianku berbicara masih Engkau pupuki, dan Tuhan, entah kenapa aku terus menerus gugup. Aku melihat mereka yang sepertinya tidak butuh Engkau. Ke gereja masuk, ke diskotik ayo juga. Masuk gereja, tapi berhubungan tidak murni dengan lawan jenis. Dan sepertinya mereka suka hal itu. Saat kuceritakan tentang kemurnian hubungan, tidak tahu apa pandangan mereka terhadapku. Tuhan, mereka tidak mau maju! Malam ini Tuhan, aku berdoa untuk orang-orang ini. Bukakan mata mereka. Tuhan, lakukan sesuatu di tanah kering ini.

Dan aku rindu Engkau. Aku pengin nyanyi di gereja dengan hati yang satu, sekali lagi. Aku ingin ngerasa Engkau ada Tuhan. Sekarang ini rasanya Engkau begitu jauh, Engkau begitu di sana, dan aku harus sendiri di sini mencari kehendak-Mu sampai lelah. Mungkinkah aku harus beristirahat di dalam Engkau?

Tuhan, aku rindu rumah. Itu lagi. Tolong aku melewati kurang dari tiga bulan terakhir ini. Aku mengasihi-Mu. Amin.

ngobrol dengan papa

kemarin malam akhirnya telpon ke rumah lagi.

ngobrol entah kenapa lebih banyak dengan papa kemarin. padahal janjian telponnya dengan mama, tapi pagi itu sepertinya dominasi pembicaraan lebih kepada papa.

hmm.. kami bicara tentang banyak hal. tentang impian masa depan, tentang apa yang mereka akan lakukan sepulangku nanti, tentang jepang, tentang kuliahku nanti, tentang demas... kira-kira tiga jam lebih, tiga jam berharga yang tidak akan mampu kami peroleh tanpa kemurahan dan kemudahan teknologi internet.

papa makin dewasa. hal yang aneh untuk dikatakan rasanya, seorang anak bisa menilai tingkat kedewasaan bapaknya. tapi itu yang kurasakan. dari caranya berbicara, caranya memulai topik, dan bagaimana ia menghubungkan satu hal dengan lainnya terdengar lebih mantap dan lebih pandai. aku terkesan sekarang dengan keinginannya membuka pikirannya sendiri lebih dalam terhadap pengetahuan, terhadap buku-buku, sekarang ia jadi rajin baca buku, dan menurutnya hidupnya lebih santai dan berpegang pada Tuhan.

terkesan aku dengan sebuah pernyataan yang disampaikannya tentang berbuat dosa. katanya, "papa tidak setuju dengan pemimpin-pemimpin gereja yang suka berkata, 'kita tidak bisa hidup dalam dosa, tapi bisa jatuh dalam dosa'". aku tertegun mendengarnya. tidak lain karena selama ini akupun sering menggunakan frase ini untuk menguatkan mereka yang baru melakukan dosa lagi.
papa kembali berkata, "kita lihat Yesus. Yesus yang hidup sebagai manusia di dunia ini, apakah Dia tidak merasakan sakit, ketika orang menendangnya, memukulnya, menghajarnya? apakah Dia tidak merasakan kesal, sebal, dan emosi manusia? singkatnya, bukankah Yesus dulu seorang manusia seratus persen?"
lanjutnya, "jika Yesus benar-benar manusia seratus persen, tapi Alkitab mencatat Dia sebagai seseorang yang tidak berdosa sama sekali, apa rahasia-Nya?"

aku tertegun sejenak. terbayang dalam benakku seorang figur Yesus Kristus, Anak Allah yang dikirimkan Tuhan sebagai manusia, tanpa kelebihan apapun kecuali kepenuhan kuasa Allah dalam hidup-Nya. Dia bisa sakit kalau kau menendang-Nya, Dia bisa sakit hati ketika orang-orang mencaci-Nya, dan memang benar kata papa, Yesus memiliki alasan-alasan juga untuk memilih berdosa. Ia bisa memilih untuk memaki, membenci, bahkan membatalkan misi agungnya sebagai Penyelamat Dunia.

tapi, seperti Alkitab katakan, Tuhan Yesus tidak berdosa.

papa melanjutkan, "karena Tuhan Yesus tidak mencintai dunia dengan segala isinya."

selanjutnya perenunganku. Tuhan saja yang Pencipta, memiliki dunia ini, tidak mencintainya dengan segala kekayaannya, melainkan, yang Ia ingat hanyalah jiwa-jiwa yang terhilang, mengapa kita yang notabene hanya 'meminjam', harus mempertahankan hak kita sebegitu rupa?
Tuhan Yesus menyerahkan hak-Nya, kemanusiaan-Nya, untuk keselamatan umat manusia. yang berdetak dalam dadanya hanyalah misi, misi, dan kabar keselamatan untuk jiwa-jiwa.


akhirnya aku mengerti. yang benar adalah hidup mengasihi Tuhan dan mengasihi sesama. love God, love people. itu aja, dan sungguh-sungguh. perubahan dimulai dari dalam. tapi kita bisa tidak berbuat dosa, karena Tuhan Yesus sudah melakukannya. Bahkan dosa kita ditebus-Nya.

lalu papa bilang lagi tentang keadaanku di Brasil. katanya Tuhan ingin aku istirahat dan mencari Dia. sambil tetap menjadi pengikut Yesus yang benar, yang menjaga standar sesuai firman-Nya, mau hidup kudus, tapi di saat yang sama setia mencari kehendak Tuhan. seperti double-stick, kata papa. ada saatnya benda itu dipakai menyerang, tapi ada saatnya ia ditarik mundur, dikepit dan berdiam diri. kata papa Tuhan sedang panggil aku mencari dia. aku ngga tahu tentang hal ini. banyak orang bilang aku makin dewasa dalam ini dan itu, yang membuatku bangga. tapi tetap rencana Tuhan untukku aku masih belum bisa lihat jelas.

yah, obrolan dengan papa membuka banyak hal lain. tentang pekerjaan, masa depan, sampai gadis impianku. tapi itu bukan konsumsi pembaca blog ini. =)

akhir kata... malam kemarin aku tidur nyenyak. tidur karena tahu selain aku punya Tuhan yang selalu di sisiku, kedua orang tuaku juga mendukung tindakanku, asal aku berjalan dalam kehendak Tuhan.

Monday, July 2, 2007

blogging tiga belas menit

waktu di komputer menunjukkan pukul 14:47. baru saja berganti ke menit berikutnya.

aku harus selesai menggunakan komputer ini pukul 15:00... adik kecilku giovanna minta gantian. tidak enak juga mengingat kemarin-kemarin dia sudah melihatku duduk diam di komputer seharian, dan sekarang gw tidak mau gantian. lagipula ini komputer dia juga... kenapa dia mesti jadi minta izin sama gw?

ah udah, jadi ngga nyambung. hmm... hari ini gw ngga ngelakuin apa-apa in particular. bangun jam delapan pagi, sarapan, duduk di komputer dan ngelakuin 'ritual' online gw yang biasa. Friendster. Orkut. Gmail. Yahoo. Torrent downloading. wah klo dipikir-pikir gaya hidup gw makin nerd aja klo begini...

terus agak sore, serial Heroes episode 23 selesai gw download. season satu. gw akan melihat akhirnya siapakah yang meledak, Peter Petrelli atau si psikopat Sylar. agak lost dengan ceritanya pada awalnya, maklum gw agak lama absen nonton, tapi akhirnya gw bisa catch up lagi pelan-pelan. Hiro dan Ando gagal membunuh Sylar, Hiro akhirnya berjuang sendiri, kakak Peter tidak mau menolongnya dan malah berencana kabur... dan akhirnya, pertarungan besar yang kutunggu-tunggu: Sylar vs Peter Petrelli. Sylar melempar seseorang... Sylar membalikkan peluru merubuhkan sang polisi pembaca pikiran... Sylar mengambil sepotong tiang untuk menggebuk mati Peter... Tiba-tiba datang wanita dengan dua kepribadian (lupa namanya), dan film berhenti.

egh...

kesel.

gw download torrent yang salah.

***

oh anyway... sudah 6 menit lagi menuju 15:00. masih ngga jelas apa tujuan blog ini.

oia. liburan sekolah udah dimulai. tiga minggu sampai akhir juli. dan akhirnya makin dekat tanggal gw pulang ke indonesia. gw akan terbang dari sao paulo hari 27 bulan September, dan akan tiba di rumah hari 29, tepat ulang tahun mama tercinta. akan jadi penerbangan yang panjang dan melelahkan sekali... tapi aku tidak sabar pulang. kangen. gereja, sahabat-sahabat, jalan-jalan di mall, kena macet, tidur di kasur sendiri... semua cuman ada di jakarta.
klo dengan ini teman-teman berasumsi gw ngga seneng tinggal di brasil, salah lho. gw bahagia tinggal di sini. gw bisa ngomong portugis, gw tambah dewasa jasmani dan rohani, gw kenal banyak temen-temen baru, yah singkatnya, I'm living the dream. Tapi memang ada saatnya burung yang terbang tinggi harus mendarat kembali, mengistirahatkan sayap-sayapnya.

14:58. blog ini harus berakhir sekarang... ternyata gw masih perlu latihan lebih banyak lagi untuk lebih mahir blogging cepat. terbukti hasil blogging 13 menit gw random dan bener-bener ngga ada pointnya. hehehe. see you soon guys.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Catatan Bosan Setelah Ulangan (Catatan yang Seharusnya Di Posting Berbulan-bulan Lalu)

Hai Kertas! Duhai kertas dan pena, yang keduanya saling bersua!


Hmm.. Biar kubayangkan hidupku tanpa kalian. Tidak akan ada yang namanya UJIAN AKHIR NASIONAL, salah satu bagian dari sistem pendidikan Indonesia yang bobrok, yang tidak meynadari bahwa potensi anak tidaklah sekedar jago Mat, pintar Kimia, pandai Fisika, atau Bahasa Inggris dan lainnya.


Duhai kertas dan pena, dialogku dengan mereka.


setujukah kalian jika potensi anak masih bisa ditemukan dalam banyak hal lain, misalnya dalam bidang olahraga, musik, seni, bahkan komunikasi?


setujukah kalian jika kukatakan sistem pendidikan Indonesia tidak menempatkan murid dalam posisi subjek, melainkan objek yang terus menerus dicekoki materi dan pe-er, sehingga akhirnya kami, para murid-murid, berubah menjadi robot-robot maniak yang tidak lagi mengejar ilmu, tetapi mengejar nilai?


setujukah kalian jika kukatakan aku telah menjadi korban sistem pendidikan Indonesia yang amburadul ini?


kertas melambai, dan pena tergulir sedikit di meja. kuanggap kalian setuju, pikirku.


hmm, lalu aku kembali ke fantasi awalku. apa yang akan terjadi seandainya kertas dan pena tidak pernah ada. blog akan tetap ada kurasa, karena tidak menggunakan keduanya, baik kertas maupun pena. ia hanya memerlukan tinta sesekali, itupun bila sang pembaca ingin mencetak tulisan yang dibacanya.


tapi setelah kurenungkan lagi, kok anomali ya? awal dari internet adalah sekumpulan orang-orang jenius yang belajar dari kertas dan pena.


hmm, bingung.


ya sudah. kita cari fantasi lain. tanpa kertas dan pena, jelas dunia ini akan terhambat perkembangannya (despite of my hatred to UAN, sepertinya kertas dan pena cukup penting).


tanpa kertas dan pena, dengan apakah rasul-rasul dan nabi-nabi Tuhan zaman dulu menuliskan Injil mereka? Tentu kita tidak akan memiliki Alkitab hari ini, atau Qur'an, atau kitab-kitab agama lainnya. Sayangnya kita sering tidak menyadari perjuangan para rasul dalam menuliskan kitab-kitab tersebut. Berapa sering kita menjadikan Alkitab kita pajangan lemari supaya terlihat religius?


hmph, ironis.


kertas terlambai ditiup angin AC yang terlampau dingin. pena terjatuh tersenggol tanganku yang tampaknya ikut melamun.


aku terbangun dari mimpi siang bolongku. jiwaku yang mengembara kembali ke dalam tubuhku. aku tersadar. kulihat sekelilingku. teman-temanku sedang berkutat mengerjakan UAN Mat. kedua guru yang bertugas jaga duduk terkantuk-kantuk dibuai angin AC yang terlampau dingin. jam dinding menunjukkan waktu tes yang akan berakhir 30 menit lagi.

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sial, tesku belum selesai!!!

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catatan: artikel ini adalah satu dari 52 artikel yang ada di blog lamaku. iseng kuambil saja, kupindahkan kemari. promosi, juga kembali melihat betapa telanjangnya gaya menulisku dulu.

These Last Three Months in Brazil Through My Olympus SP-350

rotary blazer. for us the exchange students, this blazer is a sacred thing. but why does it make us look weird when we're wearing it? tell me about it.

a car plaque with my name on it. a present from Zequinha, my third Brazilian 'pai' (father). this awesome thing is now placed on the back side of my rotary blazer. and of course it kept becoming talk of the night each time I wear my blazer to parties.

I and felipe. hmm... nothing special in particular about this picture. actually I just love how my hair looked there. and well... we were eating at a food court in Centronorte, Apucarana. Felipe is my 14 years old Brazilian brother from my second host family.

I and andrey. we took this picture on one rotary president inauguration night. nothing special too... it just looked funny.

I and a cow. I came from a city populated with 8 million people, with high skyscrapers and cars everywhere. one day my rotary president took me to his family's ranch, and there was this really big cow there. amazed, I took a picture with her.

samuel, I, emily. at another rotary president inauguration night. emily has always been my sister since the first day I met her. an awesome girl with still so many to learn about life, but she's on her way on making it through. a wonderful year having her here in brazil. the little samuel, is emily's brazilian brother, from her third family.

I and Giovanna. yes, I know, my hair. it was a night before a 'juninha' party, an annual party celebrated each june in brazil, to commemorate and appreciate some brazilian saints. and that night suddenly giovanna decided to do something with my hair. look at the results... she even asked me to go to the party with hair. I, with full conscience, rejected immediately.

green rice. I don't know what gives it its color... but the salmon tasted awesome. I found this food in Apucarana, Centronorte Shopping Center.

I and my brazilian parents. as a rotary exchange student, you will always have more than one family. in my case, I have three families, so three pairs of parents, eight siblings, three pairs of grandparents, one pair of great-grandparents, and uncountable number of uncles and aunts. thank God, this far my first two brazilian families are the best! they love me, they really do care about me, and I love them too.
end.

for more pictures of my journey so far, check out my friendster account.