Hidup ini perjalanan. Dan kalau jalan-jalan saya sering ketemu banyak orang. Mulai dari bapak-bapak yang keluarganya meninggal ketabrak kereta api, ibu muda di Bali yang kabur dari rumah, sampai bapak-bapak orang Blitar yang pernah jadi tki ilegal di malaysia. Untuk satu alasan, saya lebih suka naik kereta ekonomi yang penuh pengamen daripada kereta eksekutif yang isinya orang-orang adem. Hehe..
Karena suka jalan-jalan, separo hidup saya habis di luar rumah sejak sma hingga lulus kuliah. Sayangnya nyasar di negara adem-adem sahaja. Travelling jad sebuah alasan saya bersemangat kerja di negara 'adem' ini. Kebanyakan entry jalan ditulis dalam bahasa inggris dan bisa diakses publik. Semoga bermanfaat buat banyak orang :)
Dari semua musik di dunia ini, dari kecil saya paling gatel kalau denger dangdut.
Mungkin karena sejak kecil dangdut selalu diputer kenceng-kenceng oleh tetangga yang sedang kawinan, mungkin karena mbak-mbaknya suka pakai baju kelewat kurang bahan, mungkin juga karena mas-mas yang nonton suka heboh sendiri bikin garuk-garuk anak kecil yang cuma pengen lewat dengan aman dan tentram.
Dulu saya agak bersyukur Inul kena cekal karena goyangnya terlalu heboh. Kasian sih kasian..tapi sejak inul dipuja dengan goyangnya yang ngebor-ngebor itu, pedangdut2 lokal yang biasanya masih pakai rok di bawah lutut dengan goyang se'ada'nya, jadi ikut-ikutan modifikasi goyang.
Efeknya: perilaku mas-mas yang nonton lebih mengerikan lagi.Impactnya ke saya: gemes sih, setiap kawinan dan hajatan tetangga semakin diwarnai keramaian yang tidak perlu.
But the damage is done: setelah inul uzur dari dunia dangdut dan lebih sibuk mengurusi waralaba karaokenya, pedangdut lain yang tidak kalah bikin ingat Tuhan (setiap yang nonton pasti bilang astagfirullah.. :D), muncul silih berganti dengan goyangan yang bikin saya ikutan garuk-garuk kepala. Kenapa? tega-teganya mereka bikin asosiasi kucing dan cewe ga bener. waa.. sebel!
Jadilah Indonesia heboh. Kiai, tokoh agama, dan segala macam ormas anti kemudharatan muncul satu demi satu menghujat dangdut yang katanya bikin moral bangsa jeblok. Lalu muncul skandal orang-orang pemerintahan yang main api dengan penyanyi dangdut. Penyanyi dangdut dicap cewe-cewe tidak bermoral yang menggoda lelaki atau jadi gundik suami orang.
Ketika demam Kpop merajalela, saya kembali tersentil.
Gadis-gadis muda, scantily clad (cannot find a polite enough indonesian for this), bergoyang dengan gaya yang mengundang.
Jika mbak-mbak pedangdut kita biasanya datang dari kalangan menengah, naik daun dengan mengandalkan seribu cara, bercat rambut mirip anak ABG alay, idola korea tidak pakai bahasa indonesia, kaki mereka panjang-panjang, dan bernaung di bawah agency model dan penyanyi.
Mereka bukan mbak-mbak pedangdut yang biasanya bertempur di depan kamera saling caci maki karena peran di pilem horor slash porno. Mereka semua masih muda, cantik, terlatih, dan dipuja anak-anak muda karena gaya dan prestisenya.
They are in.
Tetapi betulkah mereka berbeda? Kalau alasan orang menghujat dangdut karena goyangannya yang katanya bikin ambruk moral anak bangsa, bukankah goyang kaki-kaki panjang di layar kaca itu juga menggoda? Seorang rekan kuliah saya dengan terus terang berkata dia fetish kaki dan menonton SNSD karena kemurahhatian mereka mengumbar gerakan sugestif dengan kaki-kaki yang panjang itu.
Oh tapi penyanyi dangdut bajunya itu lo..
Loh, Kpop tidak kalah lo. Ah tidak perlu lah ditunjukkan. Kalau mungkin main presentase, dari 100% wilayah tubuh yang wajib ditutupi demi kebahagiaan bersama, ngga jarang cuma 10-20%. bersaing lah dengan pedangdut lokal yang bisa jauh lebih sopan di bulan ramadan. Kpop idol? malah ndak kenal bulan dan waktu..
Sudah jamak dari dahulu memang bahwa orang Indonesia mudah terpengaruh, bangsa yang kurang pede dengan dirinya sendiri. Ketika Korea diidentikkan dengan gaya, mode, trend.. apalah itu, dangdut diidentikkan dengan semua hal negatif yang bisa terpikirkan. Padahal intinya mah.. sama aja, jeung.. Semua orang hanya ikut-ikutan tanpa memikirkan lebih panjang.
Saya jadi merasa orang-orang yang dulu menghujat Inul atau pedangdut lain itu hanyalah hipokrit belaka. Nyatanya, ketika dibungkus dengan balutan asing, Ayu TingTing juga jadi pujaan. Mungkin suatu hari, semua orang harus pura-pura menjadi bule atau orang asing supaya dihargai.
Located just a stone throw from Singapore is Kuala Lumpur, affectionally called KL, the capital city of Malaysia. The modern city is home of the famous Petronas Tower, the tallest twin towers in the world. Cultural diversity wrapped in modern touch is the central interest that Malaysia offers for the visitors.
Transportation
From Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, all sorts of transportation means are available. You can check directly at wikitravel. We took the cheapest way possible from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, here it goes.
Singapore to Larkin terminal, SBS 170 from Kranji MRT Station, 2SGD. The bus took us to Woodlands checkpoint where we stopped for Singapore immigration clearance. We then took the same bus to cross the bridge connecting Singapore and Malaysia. The bus stopped again for Malaysia immigration clearance before continuing to Larkin terminal.
Larkin terminal to Puduraya terminal, KL, air con bus, 31 RM. A lot of buses departed Larkin every half an hour. The normal rate as per last Saturday was still 31 RM. If you pay more, you may be bluffed. The bus took 5-6 hours to reach KL.
From Puduraya terminal, we took LRT that connected every important place in KL. The LRT is cheap and efficient. To get to Petronas Towers, take LRT from Puduraya LRT station to KLCC. Tickets can be bought from the counter. LRT tickets cost 1-2 RM. We went to KL Central where all the trains and buses left for different directions.
KL Central to Batu Caves, we took KTM that stopped in Batu Caves. The train left every half an hour. I could not remember the cost of the tickets. But it was quite cheap, around 3-4 RM. The Journey took half an hour from KL sentral to Batu Caves.
KL sentral to Genting, We took GoGenting bus that left at 2.30 pm. The bus was quite cheap, 10 RM inclusive of cable car ride to reach Genting. The journey took us an hour from KL central.
Genting to Titiwangsa, Genting Bus, 6RM. We did not manage to get return bus ticket from GoGenting, but as we found out in Genting they had a little bus terminal that sold tickets to practically any places around KL. Since we have booked train ticket to Singapore at 11 pm, we took the bus from Genting to Titiwangsa. From Titiwangsa, we took LRT to KL central where all KTM trains leave.
KL central - Singapore, KTM train, 34 RM.
oh ya.. did I mention we did not plan this trip? :))
Been interested in the book for months and finally I got it yesterday from a junior who just came back from US. I bought a used copy but it is as good as new! I am now doing the projects inside the book :)
Some list I've done in the first 2 pages
1. Learn CPR
5. Share good news
7. Play with somebody else's stuff
13. Give a compliment
14. Start a recycling project
17. Do speed walking
19. Ask directions
33. Solve a math problem
34. Become familiar with state and local government
After a few years, I enjoyed the coverage of wifi in Singapore, I found some useful apps that can be useful for those using iPhone and iPod Touch. Most of the time I didn't buy the apps because it is free hehe..
1. SG Halal (Free)
This is an initiative by MUIS that really works. The apps enabled users to search halal eateries within walking distance. I have been using it for quite a while now and it is quite accurate. It will show the list of nearby halal eateries and the halal stalls if it is located in canteen or hawker center. It also enables users to search other halal eateries in the categories section.
2. alQuran (Free)
This is a free quran that provides better coverage than myquran. It has a lot of options to personalize Quran, including changing the fonts, translation to other languages, downloaded recitals from various reciters, placing bookmarks, and search ayat. I have since changed the font to simple text that looks most similar to the writing they use in Indonesia as well as change the translation to Indonesian.
3. Qamar Deen (Free)
It is actually an agenda to keep track on your ibadah. Easier to keep track whether you have prayed, read quran, give charity, and sunah prayers for a particular amount of time. It will show you graphic summary each week or month. It was useful for those who were busy but still want to fulfill their ibadah obligations.
4. Holy Quran (Free)
Downloading recitals can take ages. Thus, I download this apps. This apps has already been loaded with Quran recitals and thus eliminate the downloading need.
5. Dictionary (free)
This is an english dictionary, simple and easy enough to search and use daily. If you are connected to the internet, they will give you the word of the day. You can also search through acronyms and synonyms.
6. FMC
Needless to say, this is for girls only. It will be good to monitor the cycle and the regularity. I use it to predict my next cycle and be prepared for it. I don't think many of my friends know about this. I believe the note will also help should any medical concern arise in the future.
I think the rest ,like e-buddy, tweetdeck, yahoo messenger, and stanza, has been covered quite a number of times here and there :) Hope it helps
Dua tahun yang lalu saya mampir ke Balikpapan dan sempat jalan-jalan ke dalam peternakan buaya yang ada disono. Setelah ubek-ubek bersih-bersih file di hard disk, saya nemu lagi beberapa. Sayang kalau ngga di share. Siapa tau ada yang juga maniak nonton monster hidup yang hobinya nyabik-nyabik daging :D Excited loh melihat mereka dari dekat, cuman dibatasi kayu lapuk :D:D
-dina
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Cambodia is a cultural country well known for both the cruelty of Pol Pot regime as well as the beauty of Angkor complex. We went there on April 2011 over the long weekend in lieu of Good Friday. USD is the widely used currency beside riel. 1USD=4000 riel.
Transportation Incurred
Airplane (Depend on the season)
Singapore - Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia promo ticket
Kuala Lumpur - Phnom Penh, Air Asia promo
Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Singapore, Jetstar promo
By Land
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap, Mekong express bus, 11USD
Tuk Tuk, from Airport to Phnom Penh city 7USD, whole day booking 15 USD, bargain if you are offered higher price.
Accommodation
Phnom Penh, You Khin Guest House. Personally love this guest house. Clean, neat, run by Cambodian who is trying to build a school from the revenue earned from this guest house. 35 USD, double room. Location wise quite far from the center of attractions, though. But it was not a problem since we always take tuk tuk anyway. Oh btw they can help you book the bus ticket to Siem Reap. The bus will send a van to pick you up at the guest house. http://www.youkhinhouse.com/index.php?guest-house-amenities
Siem Reap, Shadow of Angkor 2. Clean and acceptable with superb location. Just a few minutes away from central market, minimart, Pub Street, and night market. 15 USD double room. http://www.shadowofangkor.com/
Activity
Phnom Penh
Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, entrance fee 6.5USD.
National Museum, 3USD
Central market, bargain hard, don't buy from the first seller you met. Eventually, I got 3 sets of silk cloth @4m and 3 matching men shirt, altogether for 45USD. lol.
Halal food: Halal Restaurant, located at riverside. It is managed by malay couple (seriously they don't know english and prefer to speak malay or khmer. Try their khmer fish soup, khmer beef steak, and fish amok.
Siem Reap
Central market, not much things that tempt me. No cheap cloth like phnom penh! hahaha..
Madam Sachiko Shop, Angkor cookies. This is an amazing place. You will be welcomed with a glass of lotus tea and japanese speaking ladies! :D the angkor cookies are amazing, though a little bit expensive. It will make good souvenirs for your friends. a box of 30 pieces cost 15USD.
Pub Street, it is the centre of night life in Siem Reap. We did not manage to find halal establishment here, so in the end we ate at a vegetarian restaurant, Chamkar. Not so nice. Food in Phnom Penh is better! :D
Angkor complex, 20USD for 1 day pass. We asked the tuk tuk driver to pick us up at 5 am in the guest house. We were thinking of seeing the sunrise in angkor wat but didn't manage to catch it. The tuk tuk driver will stop near the ticket counter,queue at the counter, they will take your photo, and print your ticket. do not lose the ticket or you will risk paying it again.
Tips
Some people said you need 3 days to enjoy Siem Reap. Personally I found 1 and half days is enough. Sure the Angkor complex is wonderful, but after so much Angkors, the rest just look like Prambanan to me.
Ta Phrom was the shooting location for Tomb Raider. Be sure to take picture with the famouse tree growing on angkor ruins.
Do NOT agree taking the tuk tuk driver to bring you around from the airport if you do not know the price yet. Just pay 7 USD to bring you from airport to the guest house. You Khin GH can arrange for a tuk tuk driver for you at normal price, they will tell you how much to pay.
Lombok is the growing Bali's twin of tourism. It provides comparatively cultural society in a less materialistic direction. The fame of Gilis' Islands help boosting the overall package. We went there June 2010. So, do extra research to get more updated data.
Transportation Inbound
Surabaya-Mataram, we took a flight from Juanda, direct to Selaparang. Reviews in the Indonesian backpacker mailing list did not recommend taking ferry from Padang Bai to Lembar since the Bali traffic is less predictable, leading to unconviniences along the way. If your target destination is Lombok, take direct flight that costs 300,000 IDR. Quite cheap for less hassle.
Mataram-Bangsal, since there were 6 of us, we decided to book a car to travel us from Mataram to Bangsal, a port where boats connecting Lombok and Gilis depart. Shuttle buses and taxis are also available from Selaparang.
Cidomo, the cars stopped quite a distance from the port. So, to get to the port, we had to take horse carts called cidomo. It costs around 10,000-20,000 IDR.
Bangsal-Gili Trawangan, we took a public boat. it was quite cheap, around 10,000 IDR.Buy the tickets from the office inside Bangsal.
Accommodation
I did not remember where we stayed, since we did not book the place. A lady came to us when we arrived at Gili Trawangan and we bargained the price. 2 chalets for 500,000 including one extra bed.
Snorkeling
Gili Trawangan is a growing tourist island. The residents spend nights BBQ-in and partying. The beach is just like the one you see in pictures. It was green, blue, and darker blue gradation framing every inch of the clean white sands. Snorkeling is great in the clear water.
Snorkeling gears can be rented from every inns along the beach. It costs 25,000 IDR whole day for locals (cause they rented it in hourly basis to the foreigners, so if you are foreigner, try learning speak indonesian. they will give you cheaper price :D)
Trips to islands like Gili Meno and Gili Air are available. I didnt go so I cannot comment on that.
Transportation Out
Gili Trawangan-Bangsal, public boat 10,000 IDR
Bangsal-Mataram, vegetable angkot. haha.. seriously. We just alighted from cidomo in front of the main street when we saw this angkot carrying lots of vegetables. We did not have any idea how to get to Mataram. No lonely planets whatsoever. But then the driver asked us whether we wanted to go downtown and offered us a lift for 50,000 IDR. That was one sixth what we paid the car rental! lol.
Mataram-Lembar-Padang Bai, we decided at spur of moment to go back overland through Bali. So we went to Lembar, bought a ferry ticket to Padang Bai. It cost around 40,000 IDR.
Denpasar-Home, From Denpasar we separated. Some of us stayed in Kuta longer, I decided to go home. The bus tickets costs me 150,000 IDR from Denpasar-Tulungagung. Dahlia bus, can book them by phone also.
Tips
If you have to spend the night at Mataram, be sure to book the place beforehand. We could not get any room at 9pm in Mataram and ended up has to spend the night in a small, slightly creepy hostel.
Always, always take bluebird taxis only. In Lombok, the drivers are extremely helpful, going extra mile to help us. Including letting the 6 of us into one taxi. In Bali, we had a very bad experience with local taxis that tried to cheat us. The bluebird taxi drivers were again help us to reach Denpasar in time for our buses home.
June is the holiday for foreigners. Most of the time, Lombok and Gilis will be filled with foreigners in these period of time.
Since foreigners are abundant, the atmosphere is more westernish than any other part of Indonesia I have been to. Don't be alarmed if you see some ladies casually take their tops off (my friend was so surprised he ended up gulping sea water, we were snorkeling near the beach at that time)
I am not sure how nicer it is the snorkeling trip to the smaller islands are, but snorkelling off the shore was nice enough for me. The corals and the fishes were amazing.
Conclusion
It was a crazy, largely-unplanned trip. It was adventurous on a plus side, but it was not really optimal. We spent much time trying to figure out how to get to one point. In the end, we could only spend 1day1night in Gili Trawangan out of the 4 days journey. It was not enough. So, plan hard, play hard people~
Book everything before you leave Singapore to avoid disappointments. For a more adventurous outlook (without any bookings, you can read my friend's blog here)
Singapore-Mersing, fivestar tour and travel bus departs to Mersing daily 6.30 am from Singapore from golden mile complex. It costs 35 SGD one way on peak season. Reserve the seat in advance. They will try their best to reach Mersing in time for 11 am Ferry to Tioman. Another option like hopping bus (Singapore-Larkin-Mersing or Singapore-Larkin-Kota Tinggi-Mersing) is possible, however not guaranteed that you can reach Mersing in time and you may have to spend the night in Mersing.
Mersing-Tioman, the ferry is notoriously hard to book by itself. If you want to book the ferry only, book it 10 days in advance (http://www.myoutdoor.com/reserve/ferry_reservation.htm) . I will suggest you ask the resort to book the ferry for you. You will pay the same price 35RM one way, 70RM two ways. They will make sure you get the slot aboard the ferry at your preferred time.
Mersing-Singapore, buses booked from Singapore is more expensive. So we decided to take transnasional bus from Mersing to Singapore. It costed us a third of Fivestar buses at 26RM (approx 12 SGD). It saved us time, a lot. Since the other option of getting out of Mersing is omnibus that took forever waiting for passengers.
Accommodation
We did our research in http://www.journeymalaysia.com to get the nice place to stay in Tioman. We decided to stay in the northenmost Kampung Salang since it is the nearest kampung to Coral Island (Pulau Tulai) that offers the nice spot for snorkeling.
As suggested by a friend, I asked the travel advisor to book us a place in Salang Indah Resort. Unfortunately, the resort was full. She suggested another place called Salang Sayang Resort. The place is located at the southern part of the kampung. It's a nice, quiet place by the beach. A triple room chalet costs 180RM per night. I find out that only Salang Sayang and Salang Indah are located by the beach. The rest of the resort is located behind these two resort, but still, not that far from the beach.
Activity
Every resort has their own boat to accommodate guests who want to go snorkeling to nearby Coral Island. After going around, the standard package for Coral Island trip is 70RM (3 spots, including all the gears). The first one is on a rocky sea near the beach. lots of colorful fishes comes after your bread (bring lots of bread). The last one is near the stones in the middle of the sea where coral reef sharks are sometimes seen.
The best out of the 3 is the pasir panjang. It's in the beach of Coral Island. We were so near to the beach, yet the fishes are sooo amazing. Shame on me, I did not have any waterproof camera.
Diving can be arranged with the PADI diving shops abundantly located along the beach.
Tips
Resorts offer 3D2N package that includes accommodation,2 ways ferry ticket, buffet meals, BBQ, and snorkeling trip for -hold your breath- 420RM (Approx 200SGD) per person. Meals are not that expensive in the island, and believe me you won't ate that much unless you are as big as the Scandinavians. Less amount of money paid my whole trip including 2 ways bus ticket, snacks, and tit bits that we purchased for the stay.
Always be ready at the jetty at least 15 minutes before the departure time written in your ticket. It happened when we were about to go back to Singapore. After we board the ferry, the ferry just leaves eventhough it's only 9.17 am (our ticket is 9.30 am).
When you go back to the mainland, DO NOT take any ferry latter than 9.30 am. All buses leave Mersing before 2pm. If you take the latter ferries, you may have to take omnibus to kota tinggi first.
We did go to Salang Indah restaurant almost for every meal cause their restaurant is more happening than our resort's. They have good selections of both malay and thai food. Their fried rice portion is gigantic. Try their kerabu fried rice. It tastes a bit like Javanese' trancam and really really addictive.
Book snorkeling trip with your resort. Our boat rider from Salang Sayang is a very nice man who brought his kid. He helped me out when my snorkeling googles kept leaking sea water. He also handed me some breads to attract the fishes and waited very patiently when we looked reluctant to leave pasir panjang. *haha*
Weather can change so fast in the island. Bring some towels to fend the cold air when moving from one snorkeling spot to the other.
Kain Bali (the beach cloth), can be useful to sit on the beach or to cover the body.
Salang is a really quiet place. Televisions are only available in the public areas. So, pack some books and card games to spend time with your friends.
Last but not least, book everything beforehand. It eases your travel and saves you the trouble. Especially if you do not speak the language. Tioman is famous among Singaporeans and locals so bus tickets run out very fast.
Suatu hari seekor jangkrik imut lahir dari sebutir telur.
'Wah, selamat datang', seekor jangkrik besar menyapa.
Jangkrik kecil ingin menjawab tapi ketika dia menggesekkan sayapnya, tidak ada suara yang keluar.
'Halo!' sapa seekor belalang besar sambil mengangkat dua capit besarnya,
Jangkrik kecil ingin menjawab tapi ketika dia menggesekkan sayapnya, tidak ada suara yang keluar. Sama sekali tidak ada suara.
'Hari yang bagus ya!' sapa seekor ulat di pohon apel yang sibuk mengunyah-ngunyah.
Jangkrik kecil ingin menjawab tapi ketika dia menggesekkan sayapnya, tidak ada suara yang keluar.
Berbagai macam binatang datang menyapa si jangkrik kecil, namun mereka segera pergi karena jangkrik kecil nampak enggan membalas. Sebenarnya jangkrik kecil ingin menjawab tapi ketika dia menggesekkan sayapnya, tidak ada suara yang keluar.
Hingga suatu malam yang cerah, jangkrik kecil bertemu seekor jangkrik lain. Jangkrik betina yang juga sangat pendiam. Jangkrik kecil ingin menyapa dan dia menangkupkan kedua sayapnya sambil berusaha membuat suara. Dan akhirnya dia berhasil. Itu adalah suara terindah yang pernah didengar si jangkrik betina.
Saya bukan pembenci situs jaringan pertemanan. Rasanya tidak ada yang pantas menghakimi sebentuk alamat mengambang di dunia maya dengan adjektif. Tapi setelah tinggal sendiri dan menjadi bagian masyarakat, saya berusaha tetap menjadi orang yang realistis. Sementara facebook punya sisi utopis yang menurut saya membuat orang terlampau optimis atau kelewat pesimis. Sementara saya maunya yang sedang sedang saja *loh, ndangdut :))
Berawal dari gak enaknya sakit sendirian tahun lalu, saya jadi sering nonton lagi episode awal Big Bang Theory dan How I Met Your Mother. Lumayan buat teman makan siang sambil nyengir nyengir pahit. Ada satu adegan Ted masuk rumah sakit karena kecelakaan taksi dan semua sahabatnya buru-buru kabur ke rumah sakit. Entah kenapa ini benar-benar imprint ke kepala saya. Kemudian saya nemu blogposnya mbak nez yang sangat inspiratif tentang STKM (sahabat-teman-kenalan-mampir lewat). Sampai ketawa-ketawa mbacanya.
dicopas dari blognya:
1. Sahabat.Levelnya paling tinggi, karena mereka menyayangi kita seperti keluarga sendiri. Orang-orang paling tulus dan setia yang lolos "seleksi alam"; karenanya jumlahnya hanya sedikit dalam hidup kita.
2. Teman.Itu berarti, orang-orang yang kita temui karena, awalnya, kita memiliki satu urusan dengan mereka. Entah teman kuliah, tetangga, teman sekantor. Yang pasti levelnya lebih rendah dari sahabat.
3. Satu tingkat dibawah teman, ada kenalan. Seperti teman, kita bertemu mereka karena satu urusan, hanya saja dengan kenalan kita berinteraksi dalam level formal dan basa-basi. Misal dosen, kolega kantor yang tidak dekat, klien.
4. Lebih rendah lagi, orang yang mampir lewat. Maksudnya bukan lewat depan rumah semacam tukang bakso atau somay... tapi, interaksinya dengan kita tidak pernah berlanjut lebih dari sekedar bertemu sekali dua kali.
Dipikir lagi, facebook mengaburkan batas antara mampir lewat, kenalan, dan teman. Karena oknum A sering ngelike postingan kita, belum tentu die ini teman atau sahabat. Kontak seringan klik kiri ini mah lebih sering tidak termaterialisasi sebagai kontak sahabat betulan. Sulitnya kalau kita telanjur salah menafsirkan.. wah, bisa patah hati.. kacau :)
Berkat deactivate sebulan penuh, saya jadi punya gambaran lebih realistis tentang kehidupan sosial saya. Btw teman yang beneran teman akan tetap mengontak kok walau ngga ada facebook. Lewat email, gtalk, sms, anything. Yang ngga? Ya berarti memang cuma sekedar acquaintance. They are just not that into me *loh :p
-dina
*not that into people who are not that into me *halah~
Kadang-kadang yang namanya cinta datangnya mirip hujan bulan januari. Sesuka hati. Dan aku yakin cinta bukan anak sekolahan. Karena dia tidak cukup sopan, merasa tidak perlu bilang permisi.
Seperti kamu.
ya, seperti kamu.
Ruangan putih ini memang istimewa. Bunga-bunga di ujung pintu melengkung anggun. Lavender di antara lily, cerdik. Ungu yang memikat di antara warna putih yang sendu. Memberiku satu dua hal untuk mengisi waktu. Aku duduk menyesap minuman merah-entah-apa-namanya ini sambil tersenyum sekali dua kali kepada orang yang kebetulan aku kenal. Tak banyak, seperti kamu.
ya, seperti kamu. selalu ada di tengah ruangan bercakap dengan dua-tiga orang. walau aku tahu kamu tak melupakan aku. Nah, sekarang kamu tersenyum padaku, mengedipkan sebelah mata. Aku membaca sekilas permintaan maaf karena lagi-lagi meninggalkanku duduk di sudut. Seperti biasanya.
Tapi aku memang senang duduk menunggumu. Aku menikmati setiap gerakmu, lenggang kakimu seperti seekor kucing pemalas yang hafal peta wilayah, hidungmu yang berkerut saat kamu tertawa, dan matamu yang menyipit tulus saat kamu tersenyum. Aku menikmati caramu bercakap-cakap, suaramu rendah dan cerdas. Kamu selalu punya segudang cerita, selalu punya sederet kawan, wajah-wajah asing yang belum pernah kukenal. yang selalu kamu jabat dengan wajah penuh kehangatan, seperti menemukan kawan lama yang dua dekade lamanya tak terdengar berita.
Disanalah kamu berada, di tengah pesta, dengan tangan yang tak pernah kosong mengabsen satu persatu wajah yang lalu lalang. Dan disinilah aku berada, di sisi ruangan, takluk total pada karismamu yang memancar.
I know it's kinda strange
everytime I'm near you
I just run out of things to say..
Kadang-kadang cinta memang datang bersama badai, tidak merasa perlu mengetuk pintu. Digoyangnya seisi rumah untuk menerjang masuk. Seperti kamu.
Ya, seperti kamu.
Kalau dipikir-pikir sejak kita berkenalan kamu memang seperti badai. Tiba-tiba kamu muncul menyodorkan tangan dengan wajah berseri-seri seperti anak kelas dua esde, lengkap dengan cengiran yang memamerkan gigi depanmu yang seperti hamtaro. Kamu seperti paket hari raya yang membuat aku berusaha sekuat tenaga tidak tertawa. Hari itu. Dan hari-hari kita selanjutnya.
Kamu yang suka bahasa kaum Hitler, bersama-sama kita menonton Schindler's List versi jerman. Full. Tentu dengan subtitle inggris untuk membantuku, si muggle duniamu. Sebagai gantinya kamu rela menonton Ju On maraton selama 4 jam menemani aku yang hobi film horor tapi alergi darah.
Satu hari kamu mengetukku berbagi indomie kiriman dari indonesia, meredakan homesick aneh di malam yang ababil. Kamu yang selalu memutar musik-musik lembut, aku selalu ingat kamarmu yang rapi dan 'berbau coldplay' ledekku. Begitu kontras dengan dentuman linkin park yang mengisi pagiku. I'll have to say I love you in a song. Lagu hits Jim Croce ini adalah satu-satunya titik temu yang menjadi alasan mengapa kita selalu memutarnya jika kita sedang belajar bersama.
Tentang kenapa aku baru sadar bahwa kamu memang istimewa padahal kita sudah bertahun-tahun bertetangga... jangan tanya lagi. Rasanya di leherku ada segumpal daging tumbuh yang membuat minuman ini jadi asin. Loh, kok jadi asin?Seingatku tadi ini es buah. Kuaduk-aduk gelasku mencari penjelasan.
Sebuah jari tiba-tiba mengetuk-ngetuk mejaku.
Kamu. akhirnya giliranku tiba.
Senyum lebarmu mengembang melihat aku tersenyum.
'Terimakasih sudah datang ya'
apa sih yang ngga buat kamu'
Aku ngga nyangka kamu mau dateng'
karena percakapan terakhir kita yang membuat kamu mundur teratur?
'Doakan aku ya',
Kamu tersenyum singkat, melambaikan tangan dan bergegas pergi menuju ke depan ruangan. Aku memandang punggungnya menjauh tanpa bisa berkata apa apa.
Kamu tersenyum. dengan kehangatan yang dulu pernah kukenal.
tapi bukan untukku.
Lalu aku melihat dia.
Dia berjalan anggun dengan gaun putihnya, duduk di sebelahmu. Kalian bertukar pandang. Pandangan yang membuat aku tertegun.
Sumpah mati dulu kamu pernah memandangku dengan cara yang sama.
Tapi tanda apalagi yang aku cari saat aku tahu kita sudah terikat pilihan ?
Tanda apalagi yang aku cari di hari bahagiamu ini?
Everytime I try to tell you,
the words just came out wrong
so I'll have to say I love you in a song..
Kadang-kadang cinta memang seperti sungai, semakin dalam semakin tenang. Kadang aku berharap ia beriak saja agar aku tahu. Agar aku yang tak mengerti bahasa halusmu mengerti apa yang sedang terjadi. Ketenangan yang menipu ini rasanya menyesakkan. gumpalan di tenggorokanku semakin mencekik dan minuman di dalam gelas ini semakin terasa asin..
Singapura, 24 Januari 2011
Disaat hujan turun, kedinginan, dan masuk angin berkepanjangan
Ps: cerita ini fiksi semata. ditulis untuk turut memeriahkan tema wedding di kalangan pecinta sastra alumni sma. pos aslinya bisa diturut ke sini
di antara lagu klise indonesia liburan kemarin, ini lagu yang bisa membuat saya tersenyum :)
bergegaslah, kawan... tuk sambut masa depan tetap berpegang tangan, saling berpelukan berikan senyuman tuk sebuah perpisahan! kenanglah sahabat... kita untuk slamanya..
A senior of mine passed away last Wednesday. I am not particularly close to her. We did meet a couple of times back when she was managing Indonesian Art Festival, enough to catch her name and did a bit of chit chat. From those few meetings I thought she was a bright person, someone that radiated the surrounding with her smile and her persona. In sort, she was a beautiful and happy person who had everything any girl in the world would want and to whom life would be far more kinder and gave way to every direction she wanted (I always have this kind of impression from pretty girls around me).
So when she came back to Singapore for operation to remove tumor in her brain a few weeks ago, I was really surprised. She was not even 30. But I still believe she would be ok, that everything would give way and some kind of miracle happened for her. But again, life has proven me wrong. On Wednesday just after Ied prayer, we received the news that she has passed away quietly in the hospital.
Her departure somehow impacted a lot of people. It was like a sudden eye opener that none of us are indispensable by The Writer of fate. I suddenly remembered my responsibilities and liabilities I may have caused if I were the one who was gone. I called my mother and let her know anything about me should anything goes wrong. And it freaked her out, too. :)
My being a little bit freaked out was noticed by my colleague. She calmed me down and told me to 'sort those feelings' and that I 'think too much, too far, that will thin myself'. Talking to her really made me realize that there is no use running away from this fear. Everybody is subjected to it and needs to accept that possibility, acknowledging that 'life is short' and we need to fill the remaining time with what needs to be done. So that when death came by we can greet him like an old friend that leads us back to the Creator of universe. May we are part of those blessed people.. Amin ya rabbal alamin..
Finally I went out again for a photo hunting during iLight Festival :)
Have you heard about Deepavali Festival before? It is an Indian Hindu tradition which means 'Light Festival'. The Hindus lit candles and lamps to celebrate the return of Rama after defeating Ravana (the Javanese know him as Rahwana, sounds familiar?) Yes, it's the very same Ramayana story that inspire Deepavali or Diwali Festival.
In the spirit of sustainable energy, this year's Deepavali is celebrated with a trail of colorful lights span from Raffless Place to Marina. My lx3 of course is no match to DSLRs with powerful flashes, but I am quite proud of the effort and the result. I love my camera.
The pot of light plant with Marina Bay Sands in the background
Suddenly I found myself wondering why those lights look so beautiful to me. I was wondering whether it was my personal bias, whether those lights were actually just another kind of expensive toy that blinds my judgement. I was actually wondering whether that amazement was for real *thinking too much*
Lately I have been resisting some human feelings that is striving to come out of me. The temptation is so huge, I am afraid I will not be able to resist this. But deep down I know, this fights inside my head is just another Ramayana story, a fight between Rama and Ravana inside me. This time since both Rama and Ravana is inside me, whoever wins will get Shinta (that tempts me to choose Ravana, bad things are always easier and more fun than the good ones. I wonder why..)
However, I am pretty sure Shinta loved Rama and would be happy to spend the rest of her life with him rather than Ravana. What can be worse than being with someone who does not love you? I'd rather have the Rama inside me wins the battle this time.
and once this fight is over, I hope He will recognize my fights and lit His garden for me..
hallo dina.. pa kabar nih yg dah jdi bu guru... perasaan terakhir liat postingannya masih sibuk dengan ujian skrg dah jadi bu guru ckckck.. selamat yah... herzlichen Gluckwunsch. Kita jarang update nih, soalnya dah keasyikan ngeblog di tempat lain. tapi nanti kita coba posting linknya hehehe...
