Saya akan terus berupaya membangun negeri ini menjadi lebih baik sampai negeri ini dikuasai Syariat Islam atau syariat-syariat lainnya, karena di saat itulah sudah tidak ada penghargaan terhadap golongan lainnya.

Di luar cita-cita seluruh rakyat Indonesia termasuk saya, yaitu berupa kesejahteraan ekonomi bagi seluruh rakyat, hanya ada satu cita-cita utama yang saya dambakan terhadap Indonesia: terhapusnya sekat-sekat pemisah antara suku, ras, dan agama. Negara ini bisa terbentuk karena adanya rasa persaudaraan antara tiap golongan masyarakat di seluruh Indonesia yang jumlahnya bukan hanya belasan atau puluhan, melainkan ratusan. Tanpa ada rasa persaudaraan itu negara ini tidak akan bisa terbentuk.

Namun sepertinya keadaan semakin memburuk. Saya heran, kenapa generasi muda sekarang bukannya menjadi semakin terbuka malah menjadi semakin konservatif. Mudah sekali diprovokasi dengan nama agama. Bisa-bisanya mengancam keamanan dan bahkan membunuh orang lain hanya karena mereka itu dibilang "kafir" oleh pemimpin agama mereka.

Etnis Tionghoa pun dianggap alien perusak bangsa - etnis minoritas dan pendatang yang harus diusir dari bumi Indonesia. Akan tetapi tidak hanya mereka para rasis pembenci etnis Tionghoa saja yang salah. Saya sebagai salah seorang dari etnis Tionghoa pun salah dan tidak kalah munafik karena selalu melabel orang-orang yang katanya penduduk asli Indonesia (padahal mereka pun pendatang) itu kotor dan bau.

Sejak kecil saya (mungkin teman-teman saya juga sama) sudah diajarkan bahwa kita berbeda. Kita Tionghoa dan mereka pribumi. Kita pintar mereka tidak pintar. Kita pintar berdagang mereka pemalas. Mungkin mereka pun sudah diajarkan bahwa mereka sopan kita tidak punya sopan santun. Mereka rendah hati kita sombong. Mereka tidak pelit kita pelit. Itulah yang tertanam di otak kita. Atau agama kitalah yang benar sementara mereka salah. Agama kitalah yang akan membawa kita ke surga sementara mereka tidak.

Akan tetapi, tinggal menjadi alien di Bandung di antara mereka pun memberikan saya pelajaran berharga. Kita sama. Betapa kita sama-sama membenci teroris yang memakai topeng Islam, sama-sama membenci FPI yang merusak mengatasnamakan Allah. Betapa kita sama-sama tidak suka dijelek-jelekan dan diperlakukan berbeda.

Sampai kapan kita akan melihat diri kita berbeda? Sampai kapan kita terus memperlebar jurang di antara kita? Berkata ini pun saya munafik karena saya, secara sadar ataupun tidak, juga rasis. Namun saya tidak mau melihat Indonesia terpecah belah hanya karena golongan tertentu yang memprovokasi untuk saling membenci. Oleh karenanya saya pun akan memperbaiki sikap saya dan meluruskan pandangan saya dari bias subjektivitas.

Apakah kita punya hak menghakimi benar salah atau sesat tidak suatu kepercayaan? Bukankah itu hak Dia di atas sana karena Dialah yang memilih suka tidaknya dengan cara kita memuji dan memuliakan namaNya? Siapa sangka ketika di akhir zaman nanti umat yang kita injak-injaklah yang akan masuk ke Surga, Nirvana, Moksha atau apapun itu?

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.

- Marcus Aurelius

I was born with an enormous need for affection and a terrible need to give it.

- Audrey Hepburn

It’s always more intriguing to imagine what’s happening, as opposed to seeing everything because then you can use your imagination. I always wanted to be at a distance.

- Sofia Coppola

Just watched the videos of the hijacked bus in Manila. 8 hostages died in that catastrophe.

There was a video showing the bus driver tried to escape from the bus and he did it. Glad that he successfully escaped. He did it for his life, for his safety. He must felt a great great relieve.

And.. the next video told me about the hijacker, who was a fired captain in the army, sprayed a gunfire. He killed some hostages.


What would I do if I was in that bus, and there was an option: I ran, and I was safe but others would be killed because my escape or I stayed, killed, and the others would be safe?

Never know the answer though. Answering it won't be as easy as doing it.


Anyway.. I am very sorry for the killed hostages. RIP.

I have no problem with it. But it becomes a problem for me if others have a problem with it.

how can I get here?

How can I get here? At this point of life.

I've been living for 18 years; well I'm still so young but there are lots of unlucky teens out there can't get reach this age - I got my right to be grateful. Coming from Lampung at the age of 8. Got into St. Laurensia and held back in the 3rd grade for another year since I was too young to get into 4th grade. Transformed to be a go-green boy in the 9th grade. Becoming a nationalist too a year later. Lately my religious view grew to be more moderate. Hating conservatives. Wanted to major Environmental Science in US in grade 11 after the soccer-player-dream. Confused. Altered to Urban Studies. Confused, again. It then became Hospitality. Again, confused. Now decided to take Industrial Design.

Targeted ITB. Went to Bandung for a month for drawing lesson. The test day came and failed. Depressed. Boosted. Back to Bandung for another lesson for 3 weeks, now, targeted Itenas. Accepted. And just a week ago doubted with my decision in taking industrial design.


I know my life is not that hard. I'm lucky enough to have a caring family, eat 3 times a day (or even more), healthy body, lots of friends, good school, good house, and more. There are millions of teens about my age or even younger who have no parents and have to grab a weapon to fight in a war; bloodlust. Or those living on the streets begging for money everyday and can't go to school and have a normal teen life. I'm lucky.

But that's why I am thinking.. just tell me how can I get here?

Funny. I read an article titled: The government of Jakarta's promise to free Jakarta from flood is never committed.

Well, who dumb all those rubbishes to the river or water ditches or where-ever-you-want?! Who built illegal houses along the river bank?! Who concreted the entire house yard?!

Come on! The government can't do it alone!

saha nuhur festival: body painting

saha nuhur festival: sea turtle release

bandung

Englishman In New York - Sting

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say

Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle's brighter than the sun

Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than a license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run

If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he's the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say

I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
I'm an Englishman in New York

A Love Letter To Indonesia

Guys, read this. See how great Indonesia is and be proud to be Indonesian. Don't be so skeptical about Indonesia as we actually have an amazing and incredible country.

source: http://mojotrotters.com/2010/08/a-love-letter-to-indonesia/

You had me at “Selamat datang”.

We’ve been together for month now, and it’s time we had that talk. I don’t know where you see this going, but I could say “the hell with it” to the rest of my year-long trip and stay here with you.

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out. You didn’t really expect that, huh? Oh, stop giggling and listen.

Yes, you have beautiful beaches, scenic mountains, and hallowed temples, but it’s not just your body I fell in love with.

I feel really good with you. You treat me so well, and it’s not because of my money. Most times you don’t even ask for money. You just like being around me.

You give me a lift on a motorcycle in the rain then take me home to give me a dry shirt and some hot coffee. You talk to me on the train and take time off work the next day to show me around town. You teach me that it’s idiotic to keep a schedule, since you stop me every 30 meters to talk.

No, I don’t mind that you ask me 20 times a day where I’m from and how long I’ve been here. I don’t mind getting the occasional mouthful of truck exhaust and being nearly deafened by 100 passing motorbikes. You’re like a lover that farts in bed because she’s so comfortable and self-assured. You secretly know I’ll love you no matter what.

You don’t bother learning English because you’re too smart for that. You know that if I make the effort to speak your language, I’ll be rewarded in spades: a motorcycle ride through your narrow alleys, a free coconut sweet, your adorable laughter.

You’re religious, but not insufferably. You trim and mould religion to suit your lifestyle, not the other way around. You wear your Muslim headscarf with tight jeans and heels (and have no idea how confusingly hot that is). And you’re a good sport about it: you train monkeys to bow to Allah in town squares then poke them in the butt with a drumstick.

So you’re not exactly the best chef. Your food is good, but it can get pretty repetitive and sometimes outright disturbing. What the hell is this? A flattened and deep-fried lung? And yet, you manage to make me feel like a gastronomical Indiana Jones when your ugly streets explode to life with a million food stalls that tug me 10 different ways with their peanutty garlic grease.

But for God’s sake, go easy on the sugar. I can’t even taste the tea in this glass of diabetes. And do you have to smoke your clove cigarettes while you drive the bus? It’s not exactly well-ventilated in here.

Oh, whatever. Just go ahead, take my picture and add me on Facebook. I won’t understand anything you say there, but that’s ok. After all, our relationship is complicated.

is it to respect yourselves or to abate our rights?

Si Jadul Bernama Budi Pekerti

source: blogombal.org

Misalkan saya sedang berpuasa mungkin puasa saya batal gara-gara gangguan pagi hari tadi. Orang bilang itu soal sepele tapi nyatanya dalam sepuluh kilometer berikutnya saya masih membatin, tidak dapat menikmati radio, dan istri saya pun tak dapat mengajak bercakap lebih banyak.

Penyebabnya? Ketika mengedrop si sulung di pelataran sekolah maka saya pun mengantre. Saya tahu bahwa mobil depan berisi tiga anak.

Saya juga paham bahwa sebagian anak yang diantar tak diajari orangtuanya untuk berkemas sebelum turun. Akibatnya antrean pun menjadi lama gara-gara kedua nona kecil itu sibuk sebelum kaki menginjakkan tanah. Bahkan setelah di luar mobil pun masih sibuk ini dan itu padahal bawaanya tak seribet orang yang akan pergi sebulan.

Setelah dua anak usia SMP itu keluar, lalu melenggang meninggalkan Toyota Innova keperakan, giliran penumpang di jok depan. Tak terlihat sosoknya. Tapi pintu kiri sudah terbuka sejak mobil berhenti.

Saya masih sabar. Istri saya yang tak sabar, meminta saya mengklakson. Saya menolak. Ini di halaman sekolah dan mobil depan mungkin punya masalah.

Lama kelamaan antrean yang terlihat di spion saya kian panjang. Dan saya tahu, itu berarti buntutnya di jalan sana sudah menghambat bus kota, mobil penumpang, dan bahkan motor.

Saya kedipkan lampu. Tak ada reaksi. Klakson yang tinggal pencet bukanlah alasan untuk membunyikannya kapan pun. Saya minta istri memanggil satpamwan, empat meter dari posisi kami. Tapi sang satpamwan, yang setiap jam masuk dan bubar sekolah harus mengatir kendaraan, itu masih asyik ngobrol dengan seseorang sambil tertawa-tawa.

Antrean kian mengular. Dari belakang sudah terdengar suara klakson. Mobil depannya ikut berbunyi. Untung tak sampai bising.

Lantas saya pun berpikir kalau saya tak mengklakson, sementara si satpamwan tak peduli, maka sumbatan tak terbuka. Apa boleh bikin. Klakson pun saya bunyikan. Sekali. Dengan pencetan mengambang. Tak ada reaksi.

Saya keluarkan kepala dari mobil dengan harapan pengemudi mobil depan memahami masalah. Kaca mobilnya tetap tertutup. Saya klakson lagi. Seperti cara tadi. Tak ada reaksi. Saya ulangi lagi. Tak ada reaksi. Saya ulangi lagi.

Saya tahu mobil itu tidak mogok. Saya tahu, dan semua orang tahu, bahwa di sisi kiri ada tempat untuk berhenti lebih lama. Tapi tidak dia lakukan.

Akhinya keluarlah penumpang dari jok depan mobil itu. Seorang siswi SMA. Sambil berjalan dia bersungut-sungut, dan menengok ke arah saya dan istri, “Kan tas saya putus.”

Saya lihat tali tas Kipling hitamnya memang terlepas. Waduh Neng, kenapa nggak turun dari tadi, menepi, lantas bikin betul itu tali? Tali tas putus di sebuah pelataran sekolah telah merugikan pengguna jalan raya.

Mungkin saya berlebihan. Tapi dalam kesal, dan setelah meneruskan perjalanan, saya merenung dan jadilah judul di atas. Tentang kata lama bernama budi pekerti. Kata jadul. Sekarang pengucapnya akan dianggap aneh atau melucu.

Jalanan dan cara berkendara(an) adalah potret sosial kita. Misalnya menjalankan mobil secara pelan di lajur kanan, atau malah sekalian mengangkangi garis jalan, masih ditambah berhal-halo pula, bahkan ber-SMS. Sering kita jumpai, naik sepeda motor pun sambil SMS-an.

Mau tambah contoh? Lihatlah di dekat gerbang masuk mal dan hotel, ada saja mobil yang berhenti lama, dengan maupun tanpa lampu hazard, tapi jika mobilnya bagus maka satpam tak menghalau, karena mobil itu menunggu tuan dan nyonya yang tak segera keluar dari mal. Tuan, nyonya, dan nona sudah menelepon sopir sebelum tiba di pintu keluar tapi dalam perjalanan mereka tergoda etalase; itu pun sambil menelepon.

Saya rasa ada yang tak beres dalam masyarakat kita. Budi pekerti, yang salah satunya adalah kepatutan berperilaku dalam hubungannya dengan kepentingan orang lain, sudah tak dianggap penting.

Saya menduga salah satu sebab adalah kebingungan kita dalam menempatkan mana yang privat dan mana yang publik. Di rumah sendiri kita menjaga kebersihan selayaknya rumah sakit bagus, tetapi di ruang publik boleh semaunya karena merasa sudah ada petugas yang membersihkannya. Dalam bentuk yang sederhana: mobil sendiri harus bersih sehingga sampah harus dibuang ke luar tanpa hirau tempat.

Di sisi lain, sebagian dari kita lebih sibuk dengan kesalehan yang masih egosentris, kurang altruistis. Hubungan dengan yang Maha Tinggi lebih utama ketimbang urusan bersama di ruang publik — padahal mestinya paralel. Sebagai orang saleh sebagian dari kita menganggap pemerkosaan terhadap bahu jalan tol bukan dosa, begitu pula dengan menyerobot antrean di segala urusan — terlebih di lampu setopan.

Jangan-jangan korupsi pun tak dianggap dosa, apalagi jika pelakunya saleh dan sering menyumbang rumah ibadah, sehingga para pembimbing iman akan mengatakan, “Jangan menjadi hakim untuk perkara yang tidak kita ketahui. Saudara bukan KPK.”

Dalam sebuah obrolan, beberapa teman mengutamakan kesalehan pribadi (masing-masing sesuai Ajaran yang dianutnya), dan salah seorang dengan tegas mengatakan (kurang lebih), “Orang yang bener dalam kehidupan duniawi tapi jarang ke rumah ibadah, malah suka berselingkuh dan nonton striptis, maka dosanya berlipat. Kalau secara pribadi religius dan saleh tapi di luaran dianggap sering rugikan orang lain itu karena dia korban sistem, padahal sebagai orang hidup kita harus nyesuain diri sama masyarakat. Itulah gunanya beribadah.”

Saya bukan ahli surga dan neraka. Tapi bagi saya hubungan pramarital maupun ekstramarital itu urusan pribadi, tidak merugikan orang lain di luar pasangan itu. Yang merugikan orang lain, misalnya, ya itu tadi, orang yang sembarangan di jalan. :)

As you pass from sunlight into darkness and back again every hour and a half, you become startlingly aware how artificial are thousands of boundaries we've created to separate and define. And for the first time in your life you feel in your gut the precious unity of the Earth and all the living things it supports.

— Russell 'Rusty' Schweikart, returning from Apollo 9

When old dreams die, new ones come to take their place. God pity a one-dream man.

— Esther Goddard, reading from her late husband's diary to the AP just prior to the launch of Apollo 11.

this is one of the things i really am confused about women (maybe mostly indonesians and, well, some men do):

they really wanted to be slim, have a beautiful body, jealous with all the celebrities out there wondering why they have an amazing body. they know the answer which is having a regular exercise besides getting on diet. but, still, all they do is consuming a very small amount of food (without considering the lack of nutrition) and gossiping on PE class.

I'm not good at acting. I just love being frank and blunt.

i hate 'majority-minority' ' native-nonnative'

terry - janji manis

oh dunia ini penuh kepalsuan
mungkinkah tiada keikhlasan
apakah ini suatu pembalasan
ku sadar kebesaranMu Tuhan
aku bagai seorang
kembara jalanan
terombang-ambing di lautan gelora
ku cari kebahagiaan
dan untuk menopang kasih
mungkinkah suratan
hidup kan selalu sendirian


hati membeku mengingatkan
kata janji manisMu
ku dilambung angan-angan
belaian kasih sayang suci dariMu
oh kejamnya
lidah tidak bertulang
ucapan cinta mengiris kalbu
ku kan pergi membawa diri
cinta di hati terkubur lagi


jika ku pahami mengapa terjadi
peristiwa pahit menggores hati
perjalanan hidup ini sudah tertulis
ku tempuhi dengan kesabaran
ku sadar kebesaranMu Tuhan

Two weeks ago Indonesians were shocked because of the picture of a Balinese underwater temple. Well, how could be there a temple built down there? Here is the picture.



Mostly, there were two reactions: first those who were amazed. second those who didn't believe it. Well, I can understand it. It's pretty impossible to build a temple down there. How could they put the bricks one by one at that place?

But there were two things that made me sad:
first: the minister of tourism didn't know about the temple and worse, he did NOT even believe it exists
second: it was built in 2005, and FUNDED by Australia, and Australian tourists have known it before it surprised Indonesians.

farewell

After all the goodbyes, after we are scattered to all over the world, can we, all of us, 130-something of us, gather again in one place one day? I hope we can. I'll miss you guys. Goodluck there with your school, goodluck with your works, your career, your life. I wish you all the best. We will gather again one day. Bon courage :)

Today really is a sad day. Idel, Carlo, Remon, Ernest, and Cimut just departed this afternoon to SF. It's really hard to hold back tears there at the airport since there were 5 of them would leave abroad.

And.. what makes it a sadder day.. my elementary PE teacher Pak Agus just died this evening because of heart attack.

Hearing the news just shocked me. He is a PE teacher (he supposed to be healthy), and still young.

As soon as I heard it, my memories just rewind to my childhood. The days when I was still in elementary, the days when he was still my PE teacher. I remember he shouted at us because we were so naughty. I remember we teased him Sugus, and he shouted as us and we ran away. After all, he was a really good teacher. I love sport so badly is because of him. He taught me a lot. He introduced me to soccer and put me into Loren Team, the team I played in for 8 years. All because of him.

But his death really reminds me that we can die anytime. And we never know it. I mean, the day went normal as if nothing was gonna happen. He was still teaching PE and trained the kids for Flag Ceremony for 17th of August. He died when he got home.

After all, we can do nothing about it. God has taken his soul back to heaven. He gives and He takes - it's what we always believe in.


I have a thought about death. Well, I'm may be too young to say this because I haven't experienced death of people around me enough. But what I'm thinking is that: just be grateful if the person dies. I mean, it means that his/her role in this world has done and it is the time for them to go back to the Owner. I'm not trying to be heartless. I know it will be frustrating if someone we love dies, but that faith will give us the power to let him/her go.

Well, may be I'm too naive to say that. May be.



I hope you can rest in peace, Pak Agus. May GOD accepts you in Heaven. Thank you for all your dedication for being a teacher. I really am sorry for our childhood menace. We will miss you :)

"Wajah lama sudah tak keruan di kaca, sedang wajah baru belum jua jelas. Siapakah itu orang atau manusia Indonesia? Apakah dia memang ada? Di mana dia? Seperti apa gerangan tampangnya?"

Mochtar Lubis (alm)

"Avatar changes people's heart.
He will defeat the Fire Nation with his heart"

- The Last Airbender

This country is not just about your people.
We have more than 700 ethnic groups and beliefs.

Indonesia can't be led by a single belief and perspective.
Rules have to be made for all people in every single perspective - NOT just yours.

i write a lot, but never finish it :(

I just watched BBC Knowledge; it was talking about how our body ages. But, what surprised me was that the scientists are trying to manipulate our genes so that we can postpone our aging. Well, it didn't really surprise me that much since we will still decay eventhough our genes are mutated. What shocked me more was a scientist made a theory that we can reverse the aging gene and make our decayed body grow young again. And it will make us immortal of aging. How long? 100 years? 1000 years? No. Even a couple thousand of years.

There is something interesting at the end of the show. The host, holding a yellow potion in a bottle, calling it the anti-aging potion, asked random people one question: do you want to drink this?

Some people said: yes, it would be interesting!
Others said: it might be interesting. but, no. I'm sick of this life.
When he came to young people, they say an absolute no.

But, there was one person said an intriguing answer:

no, I won't. What makes this life incredible is that we will die. If we are immortal, this life will be meaningless.