Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Kisah Sedih di Hari Sabtu
Sepucuk cerita yang gak penting tertanggal 11 December 2004. Cerita ini pernah di-posting di mailing list Retreat 2004, jadi mungkin udah ada yang baca. Karena emang ga penting, ya yang mau baca silakan, yang nggak juga gak akan ada yang maksa.
Kenapa kok tiba-tiba cerita ini muncul kembali ke permukaan? Simply b’coz tadi gue satu bus sama mak cik satpam yang menjadi salah satu lead cast di cerita di bawah ini.
Here the story goes…
Ceritanya dimulai dari semalem. Gue pulang dari kantor udah zombie banget, setelah
seminggu nonstop bekerja keras membanting tulang *gila, seakan-akan tukang bangunan ginih* tapi masih harus menunaikan tugas gue di rumah donk. Akhirnya dengan mata separo tertutup gue pun nyapu ngepel satu rumah... abis itu, mandi. Udah bersih dan wangi, baru inget kalo gue belom dinner... ya udah cuma dinner 1 biji roti dari bread talk. Saking capeknya kayaknya sensor laper gue lupa menunaikan tugasnya untuk mengirim signal ke otak.
Yo wis, tidurlah daku. Zzzzz..... eh tiba-tiba gitu kebangun, ternyata jam 3.54 am. Segar bugar gitu, buseeeet... setelah gue coba konsentrasi mencari tahu sebab musabab gue terbangun, akhirnya perut gue pun menuntut hak-nya. Berbunyilah ia, dan tahulah saya bahwa saya kelaparan setengah mati!!!
Entah berapa biji beng beng dan marie regal (satu lagi dari mayora) masuk perut. Setelah kenyang pun gue snuggled under my blanket again.... Akhirnya gue pun tidur lagi sampe jam 7 pagi. Pas tidur itu gue ngimpi: gue ke kantor, sendirian.. lagi asyik kerja gituh... eh ada psycho masuk kantor!! Dan gue sendirian!! Pas bangun tidur deg2an juga, sempet jiper ga mau ke kantor gituh... bujrut dah
Jam 8 pagi, gue berangkat ke kantor. Wih, sepi pisan kantor gue kalo hari Sabtu. Ya iyalah, tadi gue cuma ngeliat satpam-satpam doank. Nah, siang-siang gue mesti ke bernie karena ada acara dengan seorang dokter dari Jakarta (ya acaranya sih sebenernya udah dari jam 10an). Tapi karena gue harus menunaikan tugas sebagai seorang employee gue pun ga ikutan dan cuma ikut pas... lunch (biar di kantor gue kan juga butuh lunch toh? yo wis gue ke bernie aja, lha wong wis bayar..)
And here the story starts...
Sebelum cabut, gue ke WC dulu. Pas di WC, alarm kebakaran berbunyi. Gue sih ga panik, soale kebiasaan dulu pas di NTU hostel false alarms tuh udah jadi penganan sehari-hari (sering2 subuh2 pula... ugh...).Suddenly it stops. Tambah tenang donk gue...
When i saw the lift... mati deh, lift-nya masih dimatiin!! Dibilang ”FIRE, do not use lift". Mulai panik deh gue.. masalah e, kita tuh baru pindah gedung 3 minggu... belom pernah fire drill.... in other words, gue ga tau TANGGA DARURAT di manah!!! Aduh aduh... tenang... tenang... and gue juga ga tau itu kebakaran beneran pa kagak...
Akhirnya gue wandering around sendirian (ya iyalah, kalo tiba2 ada yang "nemenin" gue jadi tambah takut hiyyy...) dan nemulah tangga...Gue pun turun.... tau donk, gema-nya hak sepatu di ruangan tertutup dan besar gituh?
Btw gue di lantai 6.
Ketika gue nyampe lantai 3... DEG!!!! gila gue kaget banget, ada 1 cowok, TELANJANG DADA lagi duduk bersila ngeliatin gue!! Gila, mending kalo body-nya SEGITIGA KOTAK-KOTAK, ini kagak sama sekali!! Kayaknya dia tuh worker entah di mana, yang lagi bobo beralaskan koran, dan denger suara sepatu gue dia pun terbangun dan pas dia ngadep gue, gue pas turun di depan dia..... PANIK!!!
Gue pun mempercepat langkah gue.. FYI, gue lagi pake my heeled boots, jadi bukan sepatu keds yang bisa diajak sprint. saking pengennya turun cepet-cepet, ada sekali waktu gue langkahin 3 anak tangga sekaligus. DHUOOOOKKKK!!! Hak sepatu gue pun beradu dengan lantai...
Dan aku pun terus berlari menuruni tangga...
Di lantai 2, ADA LAGI!!!! Masya oloh... yang ini sih masi pules... Gila gue udah takut aje kalo ada lagi, soalnya sepatu gue kan Cuma sepasang... kalo mau nimpuk dengan kecepatan 1 tahun cahaya, 1 orang cuma kebagian 1... gue ga bawa cadangan sepatu boots buat nimpuk...
Nyampe lantai 1, udah tenang donk gue... Akhirnya pintu kaca itu pun tegak berdiri di hadapan gue, siap terbentang dan dunia luar pun akan menyambut gue lagi...
Satu langkah...
Dua langkah....
Emang dasar si pintu kaca itu nilai ergonomik-nya kurang, gue ga liat tulisan "push/pull" akhirnya dengan menyingsingkan lengan baju pun gue tarik pintu itu... TIADA BISA, sodara-sodara!!! Terus dengan semangat yang lebih menggebu-gebu pun gue dorong... terbuka... pheewwwww... Tapi saking menggebu-gebunya gue sampe nyosor ke depan (ga sampe terjerembab yah, gila kalo gitu mah film dono kasino indro banget).
Pokoknya pas gue keluar dari pintu kaca itu, si mak cik satpam langsung nengok ke gue dan bilang "the fire is actually not there, they just do the fire drill". Gila, bukan api-nya yang bikin gue panik.. tapi pria-pria itu.. mana gue masi inget mimpi gue tentangpsycho yang masuk kantor gue pula...
Gue pun put on my "coolness".
I flashed my megawatt smile, held my head up high and passed through... gile, itu sih PD abiiizzz padahal sih masi dag dig dug der.
Abis kenyang lunch di bernie, gue mesti balik kantor lagi donk... gile sempet ragu-ragu aje deh gue... Tapi karena saya adalah karyawan yang penuh dedikasi, dedicorbuzier dan dedimizwar, gue pun memberanikan diri balik ke kantor. Abis gimana lagi, kerjaan gue memanggil-manggil terus minta dikerjain... Kalo lift-nya masi mati, gue bakal cari satpam buat nemenin gue naek ke lantai 6...
Untungnya, lift-nya bekerja dengan baik, tekun dan taat beribadah.
Nyampe kantor, I found 1 agonizing fact.... selotip gue raib... Gue inget seh ada yang minjem. Tapi saking blurnya gue juga inget tangan gue terjulur menyerahkan itu selotip tapi gue ga liat sama sekali siapa yang pinjem!! Jelas komputer gue lebih ganteng daripada si peminjam.
Heeeh, sekarang udah jam 6 sore. sabtu-sabtu gini.... time to go back, bahkan Tuhan pun beristirahat di hari ke tujuh, i think i deserve that too. Capek. Kalo di tengah jalan dipalak kayaknya gue dah ga bisa melawan deh.
Laen kali, kalo gue mesti balik kantor sabtu2, rasanya gue mesti menguasai dulu "jurus melempar sepatu boot".
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Hmm..
I might sound a bit sarcastic or cynical in my recent postings. Actually, not really. My entries may look like some sort of complaints or the likes. But in fact, it is just a hunch, just a thought that crossed my mind. I might be too enthusiastic in penning them down, hence it may sound the unintended cynical =D.
Not that anybody has commented on this, basically. I just think that any of you may think that way.
As I've mentioned, I am happy, quite contented and definitely GRATEFUL for whatever my life has been granted with. But, well.. it is just a hunch, a question that keeps fogging my mind: Can I make my life more worthwhile? Can I make a better and fuller use of my time and talents? Can I reach a balance between my enjoyment and my obligations and better still... a combination of that? Is it the kind of life that I really want?
The bottom line is, I am still searching in this journey of my own life. I know that this journey has no end, but I just want to ensure that I am on the correct path to do better, better and better.
Warmest regards,
A girl who is just about to enter her quarter-life crisis...
Not that anybody has commented on this, basically. I just think that any of you may think that way.
As I've mentioned, I am happy, quite contented and definitely GRATEFUL for whatever my life has been granted with. But, well.. it is just a hunch, a question that keeps fogging my mind: Can I make my life more worthwhile? Can I make a better and fuller use of my time and talents? Can I reach a balance between my enjoyment and my obligations and better still... a combination of that? Is it the kind of life that I really want?
The bottom line is, I am still searching in this journey of my own life. I know that this journey has no end, but I just want to ensure that I am on the correct path to do better, better and better.
Warmest regards,
A girl who is just about to enter her quarter-life crisis...
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Weekend Misconception
You know what, I’ve never regretted buying a laptop in May 2004 although the computer that I was using was fully functioning. With its lightweight attribute, it has become so handy to carry this thing around. It was my savior during the musical preparation time, what with I became so mobile and yet still needed to finish up few things. Without this laptop, I would need to wait until I reach home before I can employ the ever loyal Microsoft Word. Writing few articles for the Mudika KKIS’ e-bulletin was more enjoyable to be done in a café; with coffee (of course, need you ask?), few snacks, and new environment to let the inspiration free-flowing.
And now here I am, inside a rented Malaysian car, to (again) have a cross-the-country-border journey from Singapore to the neighboring Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the sake of the running of our project. Smuggling a personal laptop I am (and now I am announcing it to the entire cyber-world? What am I thinking? Smuggling and announcing do not really go together I suppose) to kill my usual boredom during the 1 hour (2.5 hours on Friday evening) trip. Though I have to bear with a disturbed screen-view (but I cannot blame the too-bright sun rays at this time of day, right?) but it is better than seeing greeneries, cars, greeneries, immigration counter, and more cars. And what with a vast selections over more-than-a-thousand songs in my MP3 list, it makes the trip more worth-going.
Recently I have a tiny thought of weekend misconception. If any of you reads a bible, it is written there that on the seventh day God takes a rest after his six days of work and has done enough. PS: It does not imply that I dutifully read the bible, but – well- I do know some of the contents (and that’s what’s more important I guess – correct me if I am wrong). Do you all notice (or is it only me?) that as time goes, there is a drift in that concept. Oh, well, some people are just not lucky enough to ought to work during weekend (including Sundays). I would like to narrow down the scope to those who work 5 days (or 5.5 days) a week and having their Sundays off.
Sundays, as can be a short form of sunny days, are destined to be bright and beautiful. Many people take it as a family day, a resting day. May be that’s why the churches choose Sundays to have their weekly masses, so that the congregation can attend in calm and fresh mind. Do you remember a song that was taught during our younger days? “This is that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Yes, that song also refers to Sundays.
But nowadays, people tend to have the conception that Sundays are the time to have fun (often it includes clubbing, gossiping, luckily not for me), and to catch what you’ve been missed during weekdays. With all the five working days being packed from work to work, people are longing for some fun, some social life, some sports, some activities, may be some courses or community services and I guess you all agree that they can only squeeze them all in the 2 days weekend. At the same time we can’t forget our Godly responsibility to attend Sunday mass/services. AND, as we are still normal human being, our body needs rest, our mind and soul need rejuvenating and refreshing. Don’t forget our loved ones too. To do our work, we spend 5 days a week. But to do ALL the aforementioned things, we are only left with 2 days.
More often than not (as I have also experienced it an ample of time), the last item was neglected. I think 90% of my Sunday night I spend thinking “Oh my God, I haven’t had enough rest, I am still exhausted and yet the next Monday is already here, waving its hand and smiling broadly to welcome me to indulge in work-and-work routine.” What’s wrong actually? Do I need to let go something? Am I trapped in an unhealthy working routine which leaves me with a little time to do all those refreshing stuffs? Or do I pamper myself too much by demanding for more rest? Do I just have to continue on living like this and change the weekend mindset and decide that resting is too much a luxury for this fast-pacing world?
Hmm, what do I do during weekend? Swimming, going for a Novena Devotion (sometimes, when I have the time), going out with my dearest (only in the afternoon), attend the Saturday Sunset mass, having dinner, writing on my blogs, replying e-mails, doing some paintings (be it homework or not). And on Sundays, breakfast at TCC, painting class, lunch, going out for a while, go back to do the homework, finding some important stuffs through the net, taking care of the laundry, ironing, cleaning up. Catching up with some old friends is sometimes inserted in the agenda. With this, I hardly spend the time doing nothing at home. I only take a nap when I am sick and get a Medical Certificate (means a day-off from work, yey!). I still have 6 hours (7 at most) sleep at night. Should be enough, but sometimes I wish I can have more, at least during weekend. Oh well, reaching the manufacturing plant soon… Will continue later.
FYI, I am now already at home. I always have a pang of guilt whenever I am lazing around, because it seems to me that actually I still have an endless list of things to do. Be it reading something important and useful, searching for some information through the net (for work or others), practicing my painting, polishing my English… In short, there is really no end for learning process. And it is sometimes frustrating to think whether we have done enough or not. Are we wasting our time? Are we wasting our resources? Talents? How enough is enough? There seems to always be something after something.
One of my biggest mistakes is that I always tend to compare my glorious school days to the tiring, endless working days. I know I am not supposed to do that, as it will only torture my conscience, but I just can’t help it. In those days, I KNEW that I just needed to pull through until the exams finish, and after that the golden semester break was just around the corner where I could forget all about the strenuous subjects and projects. Whereas now, I just have no idea when it would all be over. Even when I take my leave from office, the thoughts would still haunt me. Oh-so-scary.
Well, it is just me blabbering around and complaining about things. It is not that I don’t appreciate the life that I am leading now. I am still very grateful with whatever I have and have achieved, as there are soooooo many people who are just not as lucky as I am. Am I too selfish to wish for all these?
Anyway, I am fully aware that a person has to make a choice. A person definitely can’t get anything that she/he wants. I KNOW that I must make a choice: should I change my mindset (i.e. stop demanding for more rest and start accepting the life as it is) or should I restructuring my life (i.e. change the priority and time-distribution and management completely)? Even to think about this I have been procrastinating for months….
And now here I am, inside a rented Malaysian car, to (again) have a cross-the-country-border journey from Singapore to the neighboring Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the sake of the running of our project. Smuggling a personal laptop I am (and now I am announcing it to the entire cyber-world? What am I thinking? Smuggling and announcing do not really go together I suppose) to kill my usual boredom during the 1 hour (2.5 hours on Friday evening) trip. Though I have to bear with a disturbed screen-view (but I cannot blame the too-bright sun rays at this time of day, right?) but it is better than seeing greeneries, cars, greeneries, immigration counter, and more cars. And what with a vast selections over more-than-a-thousand songs in my MP3 list, it makes the trip more worth-going.
Recently I have a tiny thought of weekend misconception. If any of you reads a bible, it is written there that on the seventh day God takes a rest after his six days of work and has done enough. PS: It does not imply that I dutifully read the bible, but – well- I do know some of the contents (and that’s what’s more important I guess – correct me if I am wrong). Do you all notice (or is it only me?) that as time goes, there is a drift in that concept. Oh, well, some people are just not lucky enough to ought to work during weekend (including Sundays). I would like to narrow down the scope to those who work 5 days (or 5.5 days) a week and having their Sundays off.
Sundays, as can be a short form of sunny days, are destined to be bright and beautiful. Many people take it as a family day, a resting day. May be that’s why the churches choose Sundays to have their weekly masses, so that the congregation can attend in calm and fresh mind. Do you remember a song that was taught during our younger days? “This is that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Yes, that song also refers to Sundays.
But nowadays, people tend to have the conception that Sundays are the time to have fun (often it includes clubbing, gossiping, luckily not for me), and to catch what you’ve been missed during weekdays. With all the five working days being packed from work to work, people are longing for some fun, some social life, some sports, some activities, may be some courses or community services and I guess you all agree that they can only squeeze them all in the 2 days weekend. At the same time we can’t forget our Godly responsibility to attend Sunday mass/services. AND, as we are still normal human being, our body needs rest, our mind and soul need rejuvenating and refreshing. Don’t forget our loved ones too. To do our work, we spend 5 days a week. But to do ALL the aforementioned things, we are only left with 2 days.
More often than not (as I have also experienced it an ample of time), the last item was neglected. I think 90% of my Sunday night I spend thinking “Oh my God, I haven’t had enough rest, I am still exhausted and yet the next Monday is already here, waving its hand and smiling broadly to welcome me to indulge in work-and-work routine.” What’s wrong actually? Do I need to let go something? Am I trapped in an unhealthy working routine which leaves me with a little time to do all those refreshing stuffs? Or do I pamper myself too much by demanding for more rest? Do I just have to continue on living like this and change the weekend mindset and decide that resting is too much a luxury for this fast-pacing world?
Hmm, what do I do during weekend? Swimming, going for a Novena Devotion (sometimes, when I have the time), going out with my dearest (only in the afternoon), attend the Saturday Sunset mass, having dinner, writing on my blogs, replying e-mails, doing some paintings (be it homework or not). And on Sundays, breakfast at TCC, painting class, lunch, going out for a while, go back to do the homework, finding some important stuffs through the net, taking care of the laundry, ironing, cleaning up. Catching up with some old friends is sometimes inserted in the agenda. With this, I hardly spend the time doing nothing at home. I only take a nap when I am sick and get a Medical Certificate (means a day-off from work, yey!). I still have 6 hours (7 at most) sleep at night. Should be enough, but sometimes I wish I can have more, at least during weekend. Oh well, reaching the manufacturing plant soon… Will continue later.
FYI, I am now already at home. I always have a pang of guilt whenever I am lazing around, because it seems to me that actually I still have an endless list of things to do. Be it reading something important and useful, searching for some information through the net (for work or others), practicing my painting, polishing my English… In short, there is really no end for learning process. And it is sometimes frustrating to think whether we have done enough or not. Are we wasting our time? Are we wasting our resources? Talents? How enough is enough? There seems to always be something after something.
One of my biggest mistakes is that I always tend to compare my glorious school days to the tiring, endless working days. I know I am not supposed to do that, as it will only torture my conscience, but I just can’t help it. In those days, I KNEW that I just needed to pull through until the exams finish, and after that the golden semester break was just around the corner where I could forget all about the strenuous subjects and projects. Whereas now, I just have no idea when it would all be over. Even when I take my leave from office, the thoughts would still haunt me. Oh-so-scary.
Well, it is just me blabbering around and complaining about things. It is not that I don’t appreciate the life that I am leading now. I am still very grateful with whatever I have and have achieved, as there are soooooo many people who are just not as lucky as I am. Am I too selfish to wish for all these?
Anyway, I am fully aware that a person has to make a choice. A person definitely can’t get anything that she/he wants. I KNOW that I must make a choice: should I change my mindset (i.e. stop demanding for more rest and start accepting the life as it is) or should I restructuring my life (i.e. change the priority and time-distribution and management completely)? Even to think about this I have been procrastinating for months….
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Air dan Api
“Eh lho kok ujan yah?” Kalimat yang terlontar dari mulut temen gue L bikin gue kaget dan panik pisan. Mungkin kalian pikir, “Buseeeeett… badan segede gitu masa takut sama ujan? Gerimis doank pula.” Masalahe, gue tuh lagi berusaha dengan sepenuh tenaga, daya dan upaya untuk menghidupkan api di BBQ Pit #14 di East Coast sana. Bayangin donk, kita lagi ngipas-ngipas dan maen api dengan penuh harap, terus masa seh hasil karya budi pekerti kita yang mulia (gimana ga mulia, kalo kita ga nyalain api berapa perut tuh yang akan unjuk rasa?) ini tiba-tiba sia-sia belaka? Bete donk, ya gak.
Hari itu, adek gue yang paling kecil ngerayain sweet seventeen birthday party with her friends (yang ngerayain ga dia doank sih) dengan acara bakar-bakaran (yang sah tapinya) di belahan timur Singapura. Pertama kali gue denger rencana ini, yang pertama terlintas adalah… “Yak ampun, adek gue udah nambah umur sampe 17 rupanya.” Biasalah, kita pasti nganggep orang yang lebih muda dari kita tuh kecil banget, dan kita kalo inget-inget pas 17 taon rasanya dulu kita udah gede banget. Kalo dulu jaman SMU, di antara temen-temen gue banyak yang menganggap hari ulang tahun ke 17 itu adalah The Pearly Gates to enter the dating series. Tapi bukan buat gue sih, males banget dulu mah pacar-pacaran. Untuk kasus kita (cieh, kesannya serius banget pake ada kasus segala) gue ninggalin Jakarta untuk mengadu nasib (kalo di film-film jaman dulu tuh digambarin dengan bawa-bawa tongkat berujung buntelan, tapi gue sih kagak, bawanya berkoper-koper) adik gue masi SD. Masi imut, putih, lucu, masi suka nangis kalo kebanyakan PR, pokoknya masi anak-anak banget deh. Eh tau-tau udah sweet seventeen. Time flies, dan artinya gue juga nambah tuh sampe kadang-kadang udah mulai dipanggil tante (yah walau kesannya tua tapi masi untung ga dipanggil oom).
Yah anyway, mau pantes mau kagak yang jelas adek gue ulang taon bulan lalu dan dirayain kemaren. Jadilah gue jadi “kakak” selama BBQ itu. BTW yang uda tuwir bukan gue doank sih, ada 4 orang lagi. Jadi total 5 matured, calm, dignified and good-natured adults and around 24 screaming, highly-enthusiastic, energetic small ch… oops, teenagers. Kebetulan hampir semua temen-temennya itu anak Indo yang tinggal di CJC hostel.
Yah, seperti biasa, BBQ itu dimulai dengan… ngejer-ngejer ayam buat di-marinade dan dibakar. Ih ya nggak lah, kesian deh lu kalo percaya. Namanya juga bakar-bakaran, perlu apa donk? Yak, tepat sekali. Perlu api. Gue tuh sebenernya paling males kalo ngurusin api pas BBQ. Karena menurut pengalaman-pengalaman gue, paling nyiksa tuh nyalain api. Pernah sampe sejem. Apalagi kalo alam lagi ga bersahabat alias arah angin yang acakadut kayak ngerjain kita dan bikin apinya mati mulu tiap mau disulut.
Drama babak pertama dibuka dengan kenyataan bahwa mereka ga punya korek api/lighter. Masya allah, pusing donk gue. Akhirnya kita pun minjem korek api dari pit sebelah (yang akhirnya lupa dibalikin dan udah terlanjur basah kuyub juga - oops). Setelah ga sukses-sukses juga, kita pinjem lighter dari pit sebelahnya juga (oops lagi and now you know why).
Segala daya upaya dikerahkan untuk menjinakkan angin yang buandel tenan. Panas-panas gitu anginnya kenceng banget dan ganti-ganti arah pula. Kan capek gue yang mayungin sampe tolol muter-muter. Judul babak pertama itu bener-bener Ora Et Labora deh, berdoa dan bekerja. “Nyala donk… nyala donk… nyala donk..” gitu deh kira-kira mantra kita (apa gue doank ya?). Dan gue udah mikir juga, setelah sekian lama apinya masih mundung, apa gue perlu pake senjata rahasia gue. Dulu, tiap BBQ, kalo apinya ga nyala-nyala biasa gue ny…. Oops, ga rahasia lagi donk kalo gue kasi tau.
Yah anyway, lagi berdiri dengan penuh dedikasi ublek-ublek charcoal, tiba-tiba terdengar suara merdu L di belakang gue “Eh lho kok ujan yah?”. Reaksi gue? “Cepetan gih suruh orang lempar – maaf - kolor biar ga ujan.” Alkisah itu adalah salah satu cara yang biasa ditempuh oleh para pawang ujan. Setelah merasa tak puas akan tanggapan yang diberikan – cuma cengar-cengir doank – akhirnya gue pun menyingsingkan lengan baju lagi balik nyalain api.
Eh makin lama ujannya makin deres… deres… dan bikin basah (ya iyalah, namanya juga ujan). Oh la la yang lain udah pada lari-lari sambil bawa tas-tas kita ke shelter yang kebetulan cukup dekat. Heroically, kita tetep berusaha nyalain api. Masih berdua aja tuh, udah blontang blonteng itemnya arang padahal. Perlahan namun pasti, mulai datang dukungan-dukungan. Satu cowok (dari kelompok remaja) menawarkan bantuannya pada kami berdua (dari kelompok dewasa). Kita bertiga pake dua payung, jadi dua orang megang payung dengan satu tangan dan maen api (kata nenek itu berbahaya) dengan tangan yang lain. Akhirnya datang lagi 1 orang mayungin kita jadi kita bisa mayungin api. Pokoknya formasi akhir adalah R (remaja) mayungin dirinya dan E (remaja). E (remaja) mayungin R (dewasa). V (remaja) mayungin dirinya dan D (remaja). D (remaja mayungin arang (bukan remaja dan bukan dewasa). R (dewasa) mayungin J (dewasa) dan arang. Wuih pokok e kalo ada helikopter mudeng-mudeng di atas bakal ngeliat lingkaran-lingkaran bak lambang Olympiade tapi ga bolong-bolong deh.
Tiba-tiba… ujannya tambah dereeeesss!!! Byuuuurrr!!! Suddenly, despite the beautiful formation of the umbrellas, kita tetep basah. Tapi kita memang pantang menyerah dan patah semangat. Pokoknya mau basah mau kering api harus nyala. Jadi kita makin gigih mayungin dan makin gigih ngipas-ngipas dengan koran tipis yang makin lama-makin lepek (gue tau pasti ada yang udah mulai siap dengan telunjuknya dan “kesiaaan deh lu”). Ketika arangnya udah mulai membara (thanks to bentuknya yang hollow cylinder and did help the heat transfer.. catet tuh, catet ya kalo mau beli arang) kita pun tutupin dengan aluminium foil di atas jeruji besinya. Eh lagi bungkus-bungkus, abis tuh aluminium foilnya. Alhasil kita lanjutkan dengan koran yang tadi keburu lepek itu. Terus berbondong-bondong kita lari ke shelter sambil tetep berdoa (walaupun sudah berhenti bekerja).
Ketika hujan mulai reda, gue yang emang kancheong in nature (gampang panikan maksudnya) pun balik ke tempat api (pake payung, of course) untuk inspeksi. Udah menabahkan dan menguatkan hati tuh kalo misalnya apinya udah mati. Tenang aja, bunuh diri sih kagak, paling nangis bombay dan bikin ujan lokal. Ternyata doa-doa yang dipanjatkan di bawah shelter pun terkabul sudah. Helaan napas lega terlontar dari mulut gue yang ga didengar siapa-siapa karena gak ada yang kurang kerjaan ujan-ujanan ngecek api. Rugi juga sih tapi gapapa lah. Aer ujan yang ketampung di aluminium foil udah mendidih tuh.
Yah akhirnya… berakhirlah babak satu drama kami. Api pun menyala sudah, baju pun sedikit demi sedikit mulai mengering. Yang lain pun segera menyusul dan mulai membuka acara BBQ ini lengkap dengan gunting pita seperti layaknya gubernur-gubernur meresmikan acara di Balai Kota (kalo di Jawa biasa dibilang Alun-alun). Pheeeww, jadi juga kita BBQan dan ngasi makan ke 20an perut.
Yah udah segitu dulu ceritanya. Babak-babak berikutnya menyusul kalo gak males hihihihi =D Udah malem nih, besok mulai lagi my routine of going to and fro to JB for the project. Masih banyak cerita asyik di BBQ, walau mungkin ga sedramatis nyalain api ujan-ujan. Mau tau? Cepek dulu donk….. (US$ bukan kayak Pak Ogah)
Hari itu, adek gue yang paling kecil ngerayain sweet seventeen birthday party with her friends (yang ngerayain ga dia doank sih) dengan acara bakar-bakaran (yang sah tapinya) di belahan timur Singapura. Pertama kali gue denger rencana ini, yang pertama terlintas adalah… “Yak ampun, adek gue udah nambah umur sampe 17 rupanya.” Biasalah, kita pasti nganggep orang yang lebih muda dari kita tuh kecil banget, dan kita kalo inget-inget pas 17 taon rasanya dulu kita udah gede banget. Kalo dulu jaman SMU, di antara temen-temen gue banyak yang menganggap hari ulang tahun ke 17 itu adalah The Pearly Gates to enter the dating series. Tapi bukan buat gue sih, males banget dulu mah pacar-pacaran. Untuk kasus kita (cieh, kesannya serius banget pake ada kasus segala) gue ninggalin Jakarta untuk mengadu nasib (kalo di film-film jaman dulu tuh digambarin dengan bawa-bawa tongkat berujung buntelan, tapi gue sih kagak, bawanya berkoper-koper) adik gue masi SD. Masi imut, putih, lucu, masi suka nangis kalo kebanyakan PR, pokoknya masi anak-anak banget deh. Eh tau-tau udah sweet seventeen. Time flies, dan artinya gue juga nambah tuh sampe kadang-kadang udah mulai dipanggil tante (yah walau kesannya tua tapi masi untung ga dipanggil oom).
Yah anyway, mau pantes mau kagak yang jelas adek gue ulang taon bulan lalu dan dirayain kemaren. Jadilah gue jadi “kakak” selama BBQ itu. BTW yang uda tuwir bukan gue doank sih, ada 4 orang lagi. Jadi total 5 matured, calm, dignified and good-natured adults and around 24 screaming, highly-enthusiastic, energetic small ch… oops, teenagers. Kebetulan hampir semua temen-temennya itu anak Indo yang tinggal di CJC hostel.
Yah, seperti biasa, BBQ itu dimulai dengan… ngejer-ngejer ayam buat di-marinade dan dibakar. Ih ya nggak lah, kesian deh lu kalo percaya. Namanya juga bakar-bakaran, perlu apa donk? Yak, tepat sekali. Perlu api. Gue tuh sebenernya paling males kalo ngurusin api pas BBQ. Karena menurut pengalaman-pengalaman gue, paling nyiksa tuh nyalain api. Pernah sampe sejem. Apalagi kalo alam lagi ga bersahabat alias arah angin yang acakadut kayak ngerjain kita dan bikin apinya mati mulu tiap mau disulut.
Drama babak pertama dibuka dengan kenyataan bahwa mereka ga punya korek api/lighter. Masya allah, pusing donk gue. Akhirnya kita pun minjem korek api dari pit sebelah (yang akhirnya lupa dibalikin dan udah terlanjur basah kuyub juga - oops). Setelah ga sukses-sukses juga, kita pinjem lighter dari pit sebelahnya juga (oops lagi and now you know why).
Segala daya upaya dikerahkan untuk menjinakkan angin yang buandel tenan. Panas-panas gitu anginnya kenceng banget dan ganti-ganti arah pula. Kan capek gue yang mayungin sampe tolol muter-muter. Judul babak pertama itu bener-bener Ora Et Labora deh, berdoa dan bekerja. “Nyala donk… nyala donk… nyala donk..” gitu deh kira-kira mantra kita (apa gue doank ya?). Dan gue udah mikir juga, setelah sekian lama apinya masih mundung, apa gue perlu pake senjata rahasia gue. Dulu, tiap BBQ, kalo apinya ga nyala-nyala biasa gue ny…. Oops, ga rahasia lagi donk kalo gue kasi tau.
Yah anyway, lagi berdiri dengan penuh dedikasi ublek-ublek charcoal, tiba-tiba terdengar suara merdu L di belakang gue “Eh lho kok ujan yah?”. Reaksi gue? “Cepetan gih suruh orang lempar – maaf - kolor biar ga ujan.” Alkisah itu adalah salah satu cara yang biasa ditempuh oleh para pawang ujan. Setelah merasa tak puas akan tanggapan yang diberikan – cuma cengar-cengir doank – akhirnya gue pun menyingsingkan lengan baju lagi balik nyalain api.
Eh makin lama ujannya makin deres… deres… dan bikin basah (ya iyalah, namanya juga ujan). Oh la la yang lain udah pada lari-lari sambil bawa tas-tas kita ke shelter yang kebetulan cukup dekat. Heroically, kita tetep berusaha nyalain api. Masih berdua aja tuh, udah blontang blonteng itemnya arang padahal. Perlahan namun pasti, mulai datang dukungan-dukungan. Satu cowok (dari kelompok remaja) menawarkan bantuannya pada kami berdua (dari kelompok dewasa). Kita bertiga pake dua payung, jadi dua orang megang payung dengan satu tangan dan maen api (kata nenek itu berbahaya) dengan tangan yang lain. Akhirnya datang lagi 1 orang mayungin kita jadi kita bisa mayungin api. Pokoknya formasi akhir adalah R (remaja) mayungin dirinya dan E (remaja). E (remaja) mayungin R (dewasa). V (remaja) mayungin dirinya dan D (remaja). D (remaja mayungin arang (bukan remaja dan bukan dewasa). R (dewasa) mayungin J (dewasa) dan arang. Wuih pokok e kalo ada helikopter mudeng-mudeng di atas bakal ngeliat lingkaran-lingkaran bak lambang Olympiade tapi ga bolong-bolong deh.
Tiba-tiba… ujannya tambah dereeeesss!!! Byuuuurrr!!! Suddenly, despite the beautiful formation of the umbrellas, kita tetep basah. Tapi kita memang pantang menyerah dan patah semangat. Pokoknya mau basah mau kering api harus nyala. Jadi kita makin gigih mayungin dan makin gigih ngipas-ngipas dengan koran tipis yang makin lama-makin lepek (gue tau pasti ada yang udah mulai siap dengan telunjuknya dan “kesiaaan deh lu”). Ketika arangnya udah mulai membara (thanks to bentuknya yang hollow cylinder and did help the heat transfer.. catet tuh, catet ya kalo mau beli arang) kita pun tutupin dengan aluminium foil di atas jeruji besinya. Eh lagi bungkus-bungkus, abis tuh aluminium foilnya. Alhasil kita lanjutkan dengan koran yang tadi keburu lepek itu. Terus berbondong-bondong kita lari ke shelter sambil tetep berdoa (walaupun sudah berhenti bekerja).
Ketika hujan mulai reda, gue yang emang kancheong in nature (gampang panikan maksudnya) pun balik ke tempat api (pake payung, of course) untuk inspeksi. Udah menabahkan dan menguatkan hati tuh kalo misalnya apinya udah mati. Tenang aja, bunuh diri sih kagak, paling nangis bombay dan bikin ujan lokal. Ternyata doa-doa yang dipanjatkan di bawah shelter pun terkabul sudah. Helaan napas lega terlontar dari mulut gue yang ga didengar siapa-siapa karena gak ada yang kurang kerjaan ujan-ujanan ngecek api. Rugi juga sih tapi gapapa lah. Aer ujan yang ketampung di aluminium foil udah mendidih tuh.
Yah akhirnya… berakhirlah babak satu drama kami. Api pun menyala sudah, baju pun sedikit demi sedikit mulai mengering. Yang lain pun segera menyusul dan mulai membuka acara BBQ ini lengkap dengan gunting pita seperti layaknya gubernur-gubernur meresmikan acara di Balai Kota (kalo di Jawa biasa dibilang Alun-alun). Pheeeww, jadi juga kita BBQan dan ngasi makan ke 20an perut.
Yah udah segitu dulu ceritanya. Babak-babak berikutnya menyusul kalo gak males hihihihi =D Udah malem nih, besok mulai lagi my routine of going to and fro to JB for the project. Masih banyak cerita asyik di BBQ, walau mungkin ga sedramatis nyalain api ujan-ujan. Mau tau? Cepek dulu donk….. (US$ bukan kayak Pak Ogah)
Saturday, April 16, 2005
I Had A Dream…
Yes, as it is written there, I used Past Tense. I used to have few dreams. Nonetheless, as I journey along my so-called life path I’ve seen more of my dreams shattered rather than coming into life. It is true, though, that something else came along the way and turned to be… well, better that what I had wished for. Now I see life more realistically. The ever-optimist and dreamful Rhea always believed (notice the past tense) that we can get whatever we dream for, any time we want it to happen. But one day, I woke up with my eyes open-wide and realized that in real world, nothing can come in at an instant. Life is a struggle and a battlefield. There is no constant smoothness along the journey. On that day also, I was dragged out from my cocoon, my comfort zone and was forced to taste the bitterness of life, apart from its blissful sweetness. But on that very day, I started to learn about the essence, the significance and the true meaning of life.
When I was younger, I used to see the world from a rose-tinted glass. As a student, what can you worry about? My cocoon consisted of my caring family, warm home and a bunch of joyful friends. What else could you ask? What I did were just studying, enjoying my time with the loved ones and dreaming about my future, which at that time I assumed to be bright and hopeful. Ironically, now as a young adult embracing her quarter-life, I spend a large portion of my time worrying and questioning about my future. As a student, getting some respectable (and even dignifying) achievements was not really out of my ability (or luck, perhaps?). It had then misled me to savor some degree of complacency. I thought that I will continue achieving my other glossy and astronomical dreams with same level of handiness. Luckily enough, it was not too late for me to realize that I was wrong. Completely wrong.
Dear optimists out there, please don’t condemn me as yet. Dear pessimists, don’t snigger at me… yet. I still keep some degree of optimism intact. I DO believe that dreams will come true, eventually. It may be sooner than what we expect but there is a possibility also that it may come much later. On one condition, that we really put what it takes wholeheartedly.
I still do have some dreams, though truthfully sometimes I am just afraid to keep them. Afraid of losing them, afraid of seeing them shattered again just like their brothers and sisters previously, afraid that I am flying to high and a typhoon may hit me hard. So hard that I fall FLAT to the ground. Or worse still, flat and crushed.
As I have grown more maturely (I suppose, or rather… I hope) I am now able to humbly put more pieces of reality and bits of true facts of life in constructing my puzzle of life. The way I see it now is that it still lacks most of the pieces, and I still keep my finger crossed while filling in the void with whatever I had. I have limited time and resources. These constraints really become the major hurdles for me as per now. With all its limitation, human being indeed can only do certain things in a given time. I know that I may need to sacrifice something to get the other. It is just that for this very moment, I am still not capable of justifying and bang the hammer on the table to announce that a decision has been made. I still have to survive in this competitive and rat-race world, anyway.
I have wrapped my dreams in a soft linen to keep it warm, embalmed them with scents to keep the mist of hope and put them inside a beautiful and stunning mummy caskets. I know they are there now, waiting for the right moment for me to unlatch the lock and breathe some new fresh air into its nostril. Resurrection is what I am going to do one day, after I have finished sorting things out. After I have enough contemplation to know what I am really after in this life, what I really enjoy doing and what is most meaningful not only for me, but also for God and Church (as the center of my life), my dearest family now and later. After I master skillfully the art of taming this fast-pacing life and at the same time not letting myself to lag too far behind.
A resurrection of my dreams is what’s going to happen one day, I promise you. Meanwhile, I need to arm myself with a bunch of things. To learn how to fly high, really high. To stagger on even when the typhoon (or tsunami as long as I live in South-East Asia) comes and challenge my courage. To be ready even when I have to fall flat (and crushed) to the ground. To learn how to gather myself again, with whatever remains behind, and stand up from that disgraceful position. To learn how to MAGNIFY my courage and determination even after a series of falls and failures. To learn not to lose my faith, wherever my life may lead me to. And then… I’ll be ready for more stellar dreams and adventures.
COURAGE IS THE MASTER OF ALL FEARS. This is what my fortune cookies told me one day, coincidentally when I was faced with one of the most fearful occurrence in my life (yes, along the journey to pursue one of my incredible dream…).
With this, I say to God “God, just walk with me. I know I will then need no other things.”
And I know He will say “So be it. AMEN.”
Regards,
Rhea, who suddenly gain more optimism….
When I was younger, I used to see the world from a rose-tinted glass. As a student, what can you worry about? My cocoon consisted of my caring family, warm home and a bunch of joyful friends. What else could you ask? What I did were just studying, enjoying my time with the loved ones and dreaming about my future, which at that time I assumed to be bright and hopeful. Ironically, now as a young adult embracing her quarter-life, I spend a large portion of my time worrying and questioning about my future. As a student, getting some respectable (and even dignifying) achievements was not really out of my ability (or luck, perhaps?). It had then misled me to savor some degree of complacency. I thought that I will continue achieving my other glossy and astronomical dreams with same level of handiness. Luckily enough, it was not too late for me to realize that I was wrong. Completely wrong.
Dear optimists out there, please don’t condemn me as yet. Dear pessimists, don’t snigger at me… yet. I still keep some degree of optimism intact. I DO believe that dreams will come true, eventually. It may be sooner than what we expect but there is a possibility also that it may come much later. On one condition, that we really put what it takes wholeheartedly.
I still do have some dreams, though truthfully sometimes I am just afraid to keep them. Afraid of losing them, afraid of seeing them shattered again just like their brothers and sisters previously, afraid that I am flying to high and a typhoon may hit me hard. So hard that I fall FLAT to the ground. Or worse still, flat and crushed.
As I have grown more maturely (I suppose, or rather… I hope) I am now able to humbly put more pieces of reality and bits of true facts of life in constructing my puzzle of life. The way I see it now is that it still lacks most of the pieces, and I still keep my finger crossed while filling in the void with whatever I had. I have limited time and resources. These constraints really become the major hurdles for me as per now. With all its limitation, human being indeed can only do certain things in a given time. I know that I may need to sacrifice something to get the other. It is just that for this very moment, I am still not capable of justifying and bang the hammer on the table to announce that a decision has been made. I still have to survive in this competitive and rat-race world, anyway.
I have wrapped my dreams in a soft linen to keep it warm, embalmed them with scents to keep the mist of hope and put them inside a beautiful and stunning mummy caskets. I know they are there now, waiting for the right moment for me to unlatch the lock and breathe some new fresh air into its nostril. Resurrection is what I am going to do one day, after I have finished sorting things out. After I have enough contemplation to know what I am really after in this life, what I really enjoy doing and what is most meaningful not only for me, but also for God and Church (as the center of my life), my dearest family now and later. After I master skillfully the art of taming this fast-pacing life and at the same time not letting myself to lag too far behind.
A resurrection of my dreams is what’s going to happen one day, I promise you. Meanwhile, I need to arm myself with a bunch of things. To learn how to fly high, really high. To stagger on even when the typhoon (or tsunami as long as I live in South-East Asia) comes and challenge my courage. To be ready even when I have to fall flat (and crushed) to the ground. To learn how to gather myself again, with whatever remains behind, and stand up from that disgraceful position. To learn how to MAGNIFY my courage and determination even after a series of falls and failures. To learn not to lose my faith, wherever my life may lead me to. And then… I’ll be ready for more stellar dreams and adventures.
COURAGE IS THE MASTER OF ALL FEARS. This is what my fortune cookies told me one day, coincidentally when I was faced with one of the most fearful occurrence in my life (yes, along the journey to pursue one of my incredible dream…).
With this, I say to God “God, just walk with me. I know I will then need no other things.”
And I know He will say “So be it. AMEN.”
Regards,
Rhea, who suddenly gain more optimism….
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Dear Life
Singapore, 14 April 2005
Dear Life,
Hi, what have you been up to? Been busy? Oh, well… as if I need to ask. I am here, as usual, stealing some minutes to drop few lines to you. I have wanted to write this for days, you know…. But something kept on coming in the way, or is it just a guiltless excuse for my laziness and a legal passport for my procrastination?
Do you still meet up with your best friend, Time, recently? A hello-how-are-you-what-have-you-been-up-to conversation over a cup of coffee perhaps? If you do, please send my regards to him. Tell him I miss him. Tell him I am still waiting for the revelation of his beauty.
In his nothingness,
Surrounded by tranquil darkness
In his prevalence of void,
Calling out in a silent whisper
Inhaling me into its endless serenity
Captivating me to the timeless soul
Silence…
Bring me to your embrace
Tranquility…
Bring me to your soul
Serenity…
Unfurl your spirit upon me
Dear Wind,
Please don’t blow, just hush
Dear Fire,
Please don’t burn, just flame
Dear Water,
Please don’t be waves, just be ripples
Yours sincerely,
The Living Legacy of This Erratic World
Dear Life,
Hi, what have you been up to? Been busy? Oh, well… as if I need to ask. I am here, as usual, stealing some minutes to drop few lines to you. I have wanted to write this for days, you know…. But something kept on coming in the way, or is it just a guiltless excuse for my laziness and a legal passport for my procrastination?
Do you still meet up with your best friend, Time, recently? A hello-how-are-you-what-have-you-been-up-to conversation over a cup of coffee perhaps? If you do, please send my regards to him. Tell him I miss him. Tell him I am still waiting for the revelation of his beauty.
In his nothingness,
Surrounded by tranquil darkness
In his prevalence of void,
Calling out in a silent whisper
Inhaling me into its endless serenity
Captivating me to the timeless soul
Silence…
Bring me to your embrace
Tranquility…
Bring me to your soul
Serenity…
Unfurl your spirit upon me
Dear Wind,
Please don’t blow, just hush
Dear Fire,
Please don’t burn, just flame
Dear Water,
Please don’t be waves, just be ripples
Yours sincerely,
The Living Legacy of This Erratic World
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Watermelons... and something else
Today I just knew that some people like to read my blog (thank you dears!), especially in those boring days when you endlessly count second by second. Well, it has been a while since my last entry to this page. Sigh… it has been indeed quite tiring recently. Me being caught up in Singapore – Johor Bahru to and fro trip almost everyday for work (story about it later), leaving this flesh and blood exhausted each time I reach home.
Moreover, already these few days I labor myself mightily to finish up my homework. Homework? As in… student’s homework? Yes, most definitely. If you open my Friendster page, you would see that I describe myself as a dedicated employee (apparently a hyperbole) during weekdays and an art student in weekends.
And here I am, a Western Painting Class student with limited talent but loads of homework.
Oh well, I can’t really blame anybody as not all my classmates have this homework. The problem is, I am always oh-so-slow in doing my painting. Especially in doing those in watercolor, one of the most difficult painting media imaginable. Controlling the water content in the brushes was far from being a simple task. Or is it only for me? Until now, I am still unable to tell whether this brush stroke that I am doing will give me watermark (eeeuuurrgh…) or that watery effect as my teacher always does (oh please, please, please let it be the latest…). And you know that with watercolor, an instant result is out of questions. Before you proceed with other parts, more often than not, you just keep your finger crossed and seeing that part drying up and see. If it is a watermark, then you sigh a bit, inhale, exhale, mix the colors again, reluctantly lift up your arm (the one with the brush between your fingers) and redo again, with a harder prayer this time.
Not only watermark and watery effect, in general I am compelled to say that this watercolor is a liar (tukang tipu – red.). Every time you sweep your brush gracefully, the first color it shows to you might not be the one you will get after you finish your painting. Which means… finger crossing again. Ouw, in this case, since you need to hold our palette with your left hand and your brush with your right hand, you can only cross your toes and not your fingers. Oh gosh, so troublesome.
Under this circumstance, I am always the one who finish the work the latest. When the teacher has walked around and fixed others’ paintings, I am still struggling with my object, let alone the shadowing and background. But sometimes I intentionally do that so I can have the painting of my own and not Mr. Lim’s. Needless to say, my style is different from him. I feel like seeing somebody else’s painting if he fixes my works. Well, needless to say again, his is actually better. But it’s just… different style. Got what I mean?
Well, just like any other Sunday mornings, on 10th April 2005, I was – again – so slow. If you wander around, you would see three cuts of watermelon plus the shadowing plus the table plus the background. If you stand behind my stool, you would see three cuts of watermelon, c’est tout. There was one lady from oil painting class came by and said “Wow, your watermelons look very sumptuous.”
Oh well, so it is three cuts of sumptuous watermelon, and barely nothing else. As if from nowhere, I found a silvery colored thingy in my huge Levi’s backpack. Oh, wow it is my Canon PowerShot A80 camera. Thanks to digital technology, I just took few snaps – the table with watermelons, and my classmates’ painting after having final touch by Mr. Lim – and then wrapped up my things and was ready to go. Mr. Lim looked at me disappointedly and said “Yours still lack of shadows, background, blablabla…” with that gimme-gimme-gimme-lemme-fix-it look. Oh, and plus this questioning will-you-really-leave-this-classroom-with-that-unfinished-painting look. Dignifiedly, I stare back with oh-yes-I-will-leave-this-room-with-this-unfinished-painting look.
I told him “Don’t worry, I will finish at home. I’ve taken few snaps of it.”
Sunday afternoon, after having an enjoyable lunch with my dearest and a trip down to Yew Tee to pass a birthday present to my dear friend, I sat in my room with all the watercolor tool kit ready and those watermelons – oops, sumptuous watermelons – in front of me.
“Cut the paper, your painting is skewed rightward.” Oh yes, oh yes, Mr. Lim, my myopic eyes noticed that damn well too. But on that Sunday afternoon, my mind was welcoming a novel idea “Why don’t I just put something else instead of cutting the paper?” Imagine those tree cells crying out loud of being cut… oh stop it, stop hyperboling things.
And it was the beginning of everything.
One thing led to another.
It’s the answer why I have never finished this watermelon thingy.
So I started with adding a blueish ceramic flower vase to fill up the void. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the first stage.
It’s not good to leave the vase empty. So Rhea added a flower (Hibiscus). Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the second stage.
It’s so “dry” to see a flower without any greeny leaves. So few greeny leaves suddenly sprung into life, dangling around that yellowish hibiscus. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the third stage.
Ouw, should I just place them on the table? Hmmm, we need something to spice up the watermelon a bit. So Rhea decided to cover the plain white NAFA classroom table with a tablecloth. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the fourth stage.
Gosh, should I add… Hell, no. Big NO. If I added something else, it won’t be a watermelon painting, it will be pasar malam instead.
OK, let’s proceed on coloring.
Put the basic blue on the vase and some colors on the flowers and leaves. Evening passed and morning came – the first day.
Add on the shadowy blue on the vase and apply the basic colors on the table (no longer whitey) and tablecloth. Evening passed and morning came – the second day.
Finish the colors on table and tablecloth, especially those edge parts. Evening passed and morning came – the third day.
Oh, bugger. Oh, well. Gosh, I am so tired. If I still continue, my painting may go haywire. Oh, well… forget it. Let me write for my blog instead. Evening will pass and morning will come – the fourth day.
Moreover, already these few days I labor myself mightily to finish up my homework. Homework? As in… student’s homework? Yes, most definitely. If you open my Friendster page, you would see that I describe myself as a dedicated employee (apparently a hyperbole) during weekdays and an art student in weekends.
And here I am, a Western Painting Class student with limited talent but loads of homework.
Oh well, I can’t really blame anybody as not all my classmates have this homework. The problem is, I am always oh-so-slow in doing my painting. Especially in doing those in watercolor, one of the most difficult painting media imaginable. Controlling the water content in the brushes was far from being a simple task. Or is it only for me? Until now, I am still unable to tell whether this brush stroke that I am doing will give me watermark (eeeuuurrgh…) or that watery effect as my teacher always does (oh please, please, please let it be the latest…). And you know that with watercolor, an instant result is out of questions. Before you proceed with other parts, more often than not, you just keep your finger crossed and seeing that part drying up and see. If it is a watermark, then you sigh a bit, inhale, exhale, mix the colors again, reluctantly lift up your arm (the one with the brush between your fingers) and redo again, with a harder prayer this time.
Not only watermark and watery effect, in general I am compelled to say that this watercolor is a liar (tukang tipu – red.). Every time you sweep your brush gracefully, the first color it shows to you might not be the one you will get after you finish your painting. Which means… finger crossing again. Ouw, in this case, since you need to hold our palette with your left hand and your brush with your right hand, you can only cross your toes and not your fingers. Oh gosh, so troublesome.
Under this circumstance, I am always the one who finish the work the latest. When the teacher has walked around and fixed others’ paintings, I am still struggling with my object, let alone the shadowing and background. But sometimes I intentionally do that so I can have the painting of my own and not Mr. Lim’s. Needless to say, my style is different from him. I feel like seeing somebody else’s painting if he fixes my works. Well, needless to say again, his is actually better. But it’s just… different style. Got what I mean?
Well, just like any other Sunday mornings, on 10th April 2005, I was – again – so slow. If you wander around, you would see three cuts of watermelon plus the shadowing plus the table plus the background. If you stand behind my stool, you would see three cuts of watermelon, c’est tout. There was one lady from oil painting class came by and said “Wow, your watermelons look very sumptuous.”
Oh well, so it is three cuts of sumptuous watermelon, and barely nothing else. As if from nowhere, I found a silvery colored thingy in my huge Levi’s backpack. Oh, wow it is my Canon PowerShot A80 camera. Thanks to digital technology, I just took few snaps – the table with watermelons, and my classmates’ painting after having final touch by Mr. Lim – and then wrapped up my things and was ready to go. Mr. Lim looked at me disappointedly and said “Yours still lack of shadows, background, blablabla…” with that gimme-gimme-gimme-lemme-fix-it look. Oh, and plus this questioning will-you-really-leave-this-classroom-with-that-unfinished-painting look. Dignifiedly, I stare back with oh-yes-I-will-leave-this-room-with-this-unfinished-painting look.
I told him “Don’t worry, I will finish at home. I’ve taken few snaps of it.”
Sunday afternoon, after having an enjoyable lunch with my dearest and a trip down to Yew Tee to pass a birthday present to my dear friend, I sat in my room with all the watercolor tool kit ready and those watermelons – oops, sumptuous watermelons – in front of me.
“Cut the paper, your painting is skewed rightward.” Oh yes, oh yes, Mr. Lim, my myopic eyes noticed that damn well too. But on that Sunday afternoon, my mind was welcoming a novel idea “Why don’t I just put something else instead of cutting the paper?” Imagine those tree cells crying out loud of being cut… oh stop it, stop hyperboling things.
And it was the beginning of everything.
One thing led to another.
It’s the answer why I have never finished this watermelon thingy.
So I started with adding a blueish ceramic flower vase to fill up the void. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the first stage.
It’s not good to leave the vase empty. So Rhea added a flower (Hibiscus). Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the second stage.
It’s so “dry” to see a flower without any greeny leaves. So few greeny leaves suddenly sprung into life, dangling around that yellowish hibiscus. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the third stage.
Ouw, should I just place them on the table? Hmmm, we need something to spice up the watermelon a bit. So Rhea decided to cover the plain white NAFA classroom table with a tablecloth. Drawing done and Rhea was satisfied – the fourth stage.
Gosh, should I add… Hell, no. Big NO. If I added something else, it won’t be a watermelon painting, it will be pasar malam instead.
OK, let’s proceed on coloring.
Put the basic blue on the vase and some colors on the flowers and leaves. Evening passed and morning came – the first day.
Add on the shadowy blue on the vase and apply the basic colors on the table (no longer whitey) and tablecloth. Evening passed and morning came – the second day.
Finish the colors on table and tablecloth, especially those edge parts. Evening passed and morning came – the third day.
Oh, bugger. Oh, well. Gosh, I am so tired. If I still continue, my painting may go haywire. Oh, well… forget it. Let me write for my blog instead. Evening will pass and morning will come – the fourth day.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Bau Terasi!!!
Begitulah gelegar suara Bu P di kelas 3 IPA 2, suatu hari di tahun 1999. Hmm, tak terasa sudah hampir enam tahun berlalu dari hari-hari belia nan indah. Hari itu berlangsung seperti biasa. Kami warga-warga manis 3IPA2 datang ke sekolah SMU Santa Ursula yang terletak di bilangan sentral Jakarta, Jalan Pos no. 2 tepatnya. Mereka yang terbiasa datang pagi kembali menghabiskan waktu sebelum gerbang depan dibuka pukul 6.20 am sambil bercengkerama dan bertukar senyum dengan Roy, satpam sekolah yang mewarisi rambut Achmad Akbar. Walau gerbang depan sudah dibuka, kami masih harus menunggu sampai 6.30 am, untuk boleh memasuki kawasan SMU di lantai 2. Kapel pun menjadi lahan menghabiskan waktu. Sambil berdoa, tentu saja. Memohon supaya Tuhan berbelas kasih dan membimbing kita di sekolah yang terkenal killer itu. Ada yang berusaha mengejar tidur, bahkan ada yang dengan santainya gosok gigi di sekolah…. (serasa rumah sendiri – red.)
Hari itu, semua berjalan normal. Sekolah dimulai pukul 7 pagi teng, 45 menit untuk setiap mata pelajarannya. Guru-guru bergantian masuk kelas, alat pemacu jantung alami bagi para siswa. Ketua kelas ketambahan senam jantung dengan urusan kapur tulis, debu-debu di meja guru yang tidak boleh tampak, buku absen, dan lain-lain. Tetapi, bagi kelas 3 IPA2 hari itu sedikit spesial. Mengapa ?
Yah, hari itu, beberapa minggu sebelum EBTANAS digeber, kelas kami akhirnya tidak kebagian jatah ulangan satu pun!! Sungguh suatu pengalaman langka yang tak kan terlupakan. Setelah berbulan-bulan kami dicecar dengan ulangan yang bertubi-tubi (sumpah, kami lebih tidak takut dengan tembakan beruntun dari meriam), akhirnya hari itu doa kamu terjawab sudah. Dewi Fortuna rupanya berpihak pada kami. Bayangkan, kapan ulangan pertama kami dalam tahun ajaran tersebut? Hari keempat sekolah!! Sekolah mulai hari Senin setelah libur satu bulan, ulangan mendadak Kimia hari Kamis pada minggu yang sama. Alhasil, warna merah pun bertaburan.
Jadi, kami sekelas mempunyai kebulatan suara (diiringi anggukan kepala dari setiap sudut kelas) bahwa hari langka tersebut haruslah dirayakan. Bagaimana?? Dengan rujakan tentu saja!! Suatu sinergi kerja yang amat harmonis pun terbangun, mungkin karena sudah merasa senasib sepenanggungan setelah hampir satu tahun jatuh bangun bersama-sama menghadapi hari-hari di jurusan IPA. Pembagian tugas dilakukan. Kedondong, mangga, mangga muda, bengkoang, sampai semangka dan buah-buah yang “ga mungkin – ga mungkin” untuk rujakan deh !! Tidak ketinggalan juga bumbu rujak; super pedas, pedas dan tidak pedas sama sekali. Yang terakhir jelas untuk golongan tertentu; golongan unik (bangsa Indonesia yang tidak gemar pedas) dan cantik tentu saja.
Waktu istirahat yang terhimpit di antara jam pelajaran Biologi pun dijadikan tempat pelampiasan kegembiraan dan keriyaan kami. Begitu bel berdering (sudah tidak jaman bel berdentang – red.) segera kami dengan sigap berdiri dengan mantap di samping meja masing-masing (karena kalau tidak mantap akan terdengar hentakan “Jadi cewek gak boleh klemar-klemer!!”). Kedua guru biologi kami (Bu L dan Bu P) pun melangkah keluar sambil bercengkerama, entah tentang apa. Mungkin tentang hormon, sistem pencernaan, respirasi, ekskresi, fermentasi, atau hanya tentang kebandelan anak IPA2 atau bahkan hanya membicarakan menu makan siang nanti. Yang jelas bukanlah mereka membahas tentang Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Ari Wibowo, Mark Van der Beek yang merupakan jatah pergunjingan kita kala itu.
Dengan super sigap dan cepat, kami segera menciptakan sebuah lorong di antara meja-meja yang cukup lebar untuk kami duduk dan menggelar bahan-bahan bawaan kami. Harum buah-buahan mengisi ruangan, dan tak lupa ia berkelana ke koridor depan kelas (maklum lah sekolah kami memang memegang teguh open concept). Hal ini tentunya membuat rekan-rekan kelas sebelah untuk berhenti sejenak dengan tampang iri dan air liur berhamburan (oops, jelas tidak karena kami adalah wanita-wanita manis). Jadilah moment tersebut menjadi our best 15 minutes in the whole year. Kali pertama kami merasa menjadi manusia yang tidak menganggap belajar sebagai kegiatan utama kami.
Suara tawa itu, kilat jepretan kamera, wangi bumbu dan buah masih terbayang. Ketika bel kembali berdering menandakan waktu istirahat sudah selesai, kami masih enggan untuk kembali ke tempat masing-masing. Beberapa siswa teladan (sengaja dipakai siswa dan bukan siswi untuk menghindari diskriminasi gender – red.) mulai beringsut ke tempat duduk masing-masing dengan rupa bersalah. Anak-anak lain yang lebih adventurous melanjutkan aksi makannya.
Malang memang tak dapat ditolak. Kedua guru biologi yang manis itu pun kembali memasuki kelas… dengan jantung yang hampir copot dan jatuh menggelinding menuju arah meja guru. Suara Bu P pun menggelegar “Bau Terasi!!” Serentetan amukan tanda tak senang pun ditujukan kepada kami. Bu L (yang kebetulan juga merangkap sebagai wali kelas kami), terlihat dari air mukanya juga tidak terlalu setuju dengan apa yang telah kami lakukan ini. Tapi di sisi lain, juga terlihat dia iba dan berusaha mengerti kerinduan kami akan sedikit kebebasan. Bu P segera memberikan tugas yang aujubillah banyaknya. Kami semua diam saja. Bukannya kenapa-kenapa, tetapi sebagian besar dari kami masih mengecap-ngecap kepedesan dan curi-curi lihat jam untuk menghitung menit sampai mereka diperbolehkan meneguk minuman. Uuugh, what a long 45 minutes.
Kejadian yang tidak terjadi setiap hari ini, diprasastikan di buku kenangan kami (year book – red.). Bahkan sampai sekarang, kami masih menyimpannya dalam hati kami.
Bukan sebagai bukti kenakalan kami, tetapi lebih sebagai bukti spontanitas dan kenekadan jiwa muda.
Jiwa yang tidak bisa terkungkung dalam sarang, jiwa yang selalu haus akan kebebasan.
Hati yang mencintai kebersamaaan dan hati yang penuh solidaritas.
Terkadang,
Lelah menjadi seorang dewasa.
Menanggung beban dan tanggung jawab.
Dihadapkan pada realitas kehidupan yang penuh perjuangan setiap hari, setiap menit dan setiap detik
Mulai memikirkan apa yang menanti kita di hari esok?
Mulai penuh keraguan akan kemampuan kita bertahan di hidup yang tak pernah pasti ini
Terus mempertimbangkan, apakah ini salah?
Apakah ini amoral?
Apakah seharusnya hal ini dilakukan?
Sigh…
Betapa rindunya akan masa lalu
Ketika spontanitas menjadi agenda utama
Rasa takut dan ragu diabaikan
Pengalaman digali, betapapun gilanya
Ketika a mere rujak party menjadi a total bliss
Ketika “hari esok” hanya sebatas ulangan yang akan dihadapi
Ketika “short term goal” adalah mendapat nilai yang baik dan naik kelas
Ketika “long term goal” adalah… yang penting lulus dulu, nanti dipikir lagi
Gedung tua itu,
Bernuansa hijau yang memberi kedamaian,
Ketentraman,
Rasa aman…
Merangkul kami gadis-gadis belia, dalam menjembatani masa muda dan dewasa
Dalam membekali diri sebelum memulai petualangan panjang kehidupan
Dalam menjalin persahabatan yang tidak akan pupus...
Manis...
Hangat...
Dan abadi
Sebuah cafe di ibukota mengumpulkan kembali beberapa insan
Bekas penghuni gedung hijau itu
Di sofa itu kami merebahkan badan
Berbicara seperti layaknya kaum dewasa
Tentang pekerjaan, tentang jodoh, tentang masa depan
Penat dan gelisah
Insekuritas
Tetapi sebuah lontaran tentang masa lalu
Membangkitkan semangat kami
Topik pun berganti
Gelak tawa kembali bergaung
Genggaman jemari menguatkan setiap jiwa kami
Dan mengingatkan bahwa...
C’est la vie
That’s life
Masa muda hanyalah masa lalu
Yang boleh dikenang tetapi jangan biarkan diri kita terhanyut dalam arusnya
Setiap penggal kehidupan adalah bagian dari sebuah perjalanan
Yang sarat akan proses pembelajaran
Penanaman modal untuk hari esok
Dan keesokannya lagi...
Dan keesokannya lagi…
Hari itu, semua berjalan normal. Sekolah dimulai pukul 7 pagi teng, 45 menit untuk setiap mata pelajarannya. Guru-guru bergantian masuk kelas, alat pemacu jantung alami bagi para siswa. Ketua kelas ketambahan senam jantung dengan urusan kapur tulis, debu-debu di meja guru yang tidak boleh tampak, buku absen, dan lain-lain. Tetapi, bagi kelas 3 IPA2 hari itu sedikit spesial. Mengapa ?
Yah, hari itu, beberapa minggu sebelum EBTANAS digeber, kelas kami akhirnya tidak kebagian jatah ulangan satu pun!! Sungguh suatu pengalaman langka yang tak kan terlupakan. Setelah berbulan-bulan kami dicecar dengan ulangan yang bertubi-tubi (sumpah, kami lebih tidak takut dengan tembakan beruntun dari meriam), akhirnya hari itu doa kamu terjawab sudah. Dewi Fortuna rupanya berpihak pada kami. Bayangkan, kapan ulangan pertama kami dalam tahun ajaran tersebut? Hari keempat sekolah!! Sekolah mulai hari Senin setelah libur satu bulan, ulangan mendadak Kimia hari Kamis pada minggu yang sama. Alhasil, warna merah pun bertaburan.
Jadi, kami sekelas mempunyai kebulatan suara (diiringi anggukan kepala dari setiap sudut kelas) bahwa hari langka tersebut haruslah dirayakan. Bagaimana?? Dengan rujakan tentu saja!! Suatu sinergi kerja yang amat harmonis pun terbangun, mungkin karena sudah merasa senasib sepenanggungan setelah hampir satu tahun jatuh bangun bersama-sama menghadapi hari-hari di jurusan IPA. Pembagian tugas dilakukan. Kedondong, mangga, mangga muda, bengkoang, sampai semangka dan buah-buah yang “ga mungkin – ga mungkin” untuk rujakan deh !! Tidak ketinggalan juga bumbu rujak; super pedas, pedas dan tidak pedas sama sekali. Yang terakhir jelas untuk golongan tertentu; golongan unik (bangsa Indonesia yang tidak gemar pedas) dan cantik tentu saja.
Waktu istirahat yang terhimpit di antara jam pelajaran Biologi pun dijadikan tempat pelampiasan kegembiraan dan keriyaan kami. Begitu bel berdering (sudah tidak jaman bel berdentang – red.) segera kami dengan sigap berdiri dengan mantap di samping meja masing-masing (karena kalau tidak mantap akan terdengar hentakan “Jadi cewek gak boleh klemar-klemer!!”). Kedua guru biologi kami (Bu L dan Bu P) pun melangkah keluar sambil bercengkerama, entah tentang apa. Mungkin tentang hormon, sistem pencernaan, respirasi, ekskresi, fermentasi, atau hanya tentang kebandelan anak IPA2 atau bahkan hanya membicarakan menu makan siang nanti. Yang jelas bukanlah mereka membahas tentang Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Ari Wibowo, Mark Van der Beek yang merupakan jatah pergunjingan kita kala itu.
Dengan super sigap dan cepat, kami segera menciptakan sebuah lorong di antara meja-meja yang cukup lebar untuk kami duduk dan menggelar bahan-bahan bawaan kami. Harum buah-buahan mengisi ruangan, dan tak lupa ia berkelana ke koridor depan kelas (maklum lah sekolah kami memang memegang teguh open concept). Hal ini tentunya membuat rekan-rekan kelas sebelah untuk berhenti sejenak dengan tampang iri dan air liur berhamburan (oops, jelas tidak karena kami adalah wanita-wanita manis). Jadilah moment tersebut menjadi our best 15 minutes in the whole year. Kali pertama kami merasa menjadi manusia yang tidak menganggap belajar sebagai kegiatan utama kami.
Suara tawa itu, kilat jepretan kamera, wangi bumbu dan buah masih terbayang. Ketika bel kembali berdering menandakan waktu istirahat sudah selesai, kami masih enggan untuk kembali ke tempat masing-masing. Beberapa siswa teladan (sengaja dipakai siswa dan bukan siswi untuk menghindari diskriminasi gender – red.) mulai beringsut ke tempat duduk masing-masing dengan rupa bersalah. Anak-anak lain yang lebih adventurous melanjutkan aksi makannya.
Malang memang tak dapat ditolak. Kedua guru biologi yang manis itu pun kembali memasuki kelas… dengan jantung yang hampir copot dan jatuh menggelinding menuju arah meja guru. Suara Bu P pun menggelegar “Bau Terasi!!” Serentetan amukan tanda tak senang pun ditujukan kepada kami. Bu L (yang kebetulan juga merangkap sebagai wali kelas kami), terlihat dari air mukanya juga tidak terlalu setuju dengan apa yang telah kami lakukan ini. Tapi di sisi lain, juga terlihat dia iba dan berusaha mengerti kerinduan kami akan sedikit kebebasan. Bu P segera memberikan tugas yang aujubillah banyaknya. Kami semua diam saja. Bukannya kenapa-kenapa, tetapi sebagian besar dari kami masih mengecap-ngecap kepedesan dan curi-curi lihat jam untuk menghitung menit sampai mereka diperbolehkan meneguk minuman. Uuugh, what a long 45 minutes.
Kejadian yang tidak terjadi setiap hari ini, diprasastikan di buku kenangan kami (year book – red.). Bahkan sampai sekarang, kami masih menyimpannya dalam hati kami.
Bukan sebagai bukti kenakalan kami, tetapi lebih sebagai bukti spontanitas dan kenekadan jiwa muda.
Jiwa yang tidak bisa terkungkung dalam sarang, jiwa yang selalu haus akan kebebasan.
Hati yang mencintai kebersamaaan dan hati yang penuh solidaritas.
Terkadang,
Lelah menjadi seorang dewasa.
Menanggung beban dan tanggung jawab.
Dihadapkan pada realitas kehidupan yang penuh perjuangan setiap hari, setiap menit dan setiap detik
Mulai memikirkan apa yang menanti kita di hari esok?
Mulai penuh keraguan akan kemampuan kita bertahan di hidup yang tak pernah pasti ini
Terus mempertimbangkan, apakah ini salah?
Apakah ini amoral?
Apakah seharusnya hal ini dilakukan?
Sigh…
Betapa rindunya akan masa lalu
Ketika spontanitas menjadi agenda utama
Rasa takut dan ragu diabaikan
Pengalaman digali, betapapun gilanya
Ketika a mere rujak party menjadi a total bliss
Ketika “hari esok” hanya sebatas ulangan yang akan dihadapi
Ketika “short term goal” adalah mendapat nilai yang baik dan naik kelas
Ketika “long term goal” adalah… yang penting lulus dulu, nanti dipikir lagi
Gedung tua itu,
Bernuansa hijau yang memberi kedamaian,
Ketentraman,
Rasa aman…
Merangkul kami gadis-gadis belia, dalam menjembatani masa muda dan dewasa
Dalam membekali diri sebelum memulai petualangan panjang kehidupan
Dalam menjalin persahabatan yang tidak akan pupus...
Manis...
Hangat...
Dan abadi
Sebuah cafe di ibukota mengumpulkan kembali beberapa insan
Bekas penghuni gedung hijau itu
Di sofa itu kami merebahkan badan
Berbicara seperti layaknya kaum dewasa
Tentang pekerjaan, tentang jodoh, tentang masa depan
Penat dan gelisah
Insekuritas
Tetapi sebuah lontaran tentang masa lalu
Membangkitkan semangat kami
Topik pun berganti
Gelak tawa kembali bergaung
Genggaman jemari menguatkan setiap jiwa kami
Dan mengingatkan bahwa...
C’est la vie
That’s life
Masa muda hanyalah masa lalu
Yang boleh dikenang tetapi jangan biarkan diri kita terhanyut dalam arusnya
Setiap penggal kehidupan adalah bagian dari sebuah perjalanan
Yang sarat akan proses pembelajaran
Penanaman modal untuk hari esok
Dan keesokannya lagi...
Dan keesokannya lagi…
And friendship comes to strengthen each soul
For everything, there’s a season…
Rhea Patricia Liem
27 March 2005 (Happy sweet 17th bday to my beautiful sista Rinda!!)
Thanks to the fabulous gals: Daisy, Maureen, Jessica, Oppie, Grace… ex 3IPA2 Sanur 1999, we rocked gelare!! Thanks for being part of my life (and also to all my high school friends); past, present and future...
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Selamat Pagi Teman-Teman!!
Hmm, ini pertama kalinya gue nulis pake bahasa Indo di blog ini yah. Ini cerita udah beberapa tahun lalu deh, jaman 1998-1999. Jaman siapa tuh ya yang jadi presidennya Indonesia, Habibie kah?
Intinya, kejadian ini jaman gue masi pake rok kotak-kotak. Pake rok yang panjangnya 100 mm (10 cm sih, cuma kan kalo angkanya 100 kesannya lebih dramatis gitchu…) di bawah lutut, nutupin kaos kaki. Kaos kakinya panjang, banyak orang bilang kayak kaos kaki sepak bola tapi sebenernya….. nggak banget!! Kaos kaki ini sih tipis, gampang sobek di bagian jempol kaki. Bikin banyak anak dijembreng di depan aula buat jaitin kaos kaki.
Sesuai judulnya…
“Selamat Pagi Teman-Teman!!”
Sapaan yang diiringi dengan senyum luebaaar dan bouncy steps itu dulu ga pernah absen tiap pagi di kelas gue. Satu suara, yang bisa mengubah suasana di dalam ruangan kelas tanpa aircon. Suara ini munculnya dari satu anak, aduh imut banget deh... Dia satu setengah tahun lebih muda dari rata-rata umur anak-anak sekelas. Anaknya kecil, gampang blushing, rambutnya model bob berponi, suaranya lucu, tingkahnya imut nan nyenengin... Semuanya ini disimpulkan dengan nama panggilan kesayangan yang kita kasi ke dia “Baby”.
“Selamat Pagi Baby!!”
Biasanya jawaban yang kalah ceria dari suara baby itu yang kita kasi sebagai balasan. Dan jawabannya juga ga kompak, soalnya banyak yang lagi nyalin PR, lagi berusaha ngapalin buat ulangan ntar siang, sampe ada yang berusaha mengejar waktu tidur yang kurang. Idih ga mungkin banget, ga berapa lama juga bel sekolah bakal meraung-raung dan buyarlah semua mimpi yang sedang dirajut…
Lucunya, sapaan si Baby itu kan sebenernya sesuatu yang amat sangat wajar yah. Pagi-pagi ya bilang selamat pagi. Memulai hari baru ya mestinya menyapa dengan ceria. Tapi, pada awal-awal dia nyapa kita sekelas begitu, yang ada malah wajah-wajah bengong kayak sapi ompong keangkat dari salinan PR masing-masing. Bengong, melongo, bingung. Lah ni anak ceria banget sih? Mungkin itu pikiran kita. Lah tapi apa salahnya ceria? Lama kelamaan, kita jadi terbiasa dan spontan membales sapaan manis si Baby, walau kalah ceria tapi ga kalah manis (udah dari sononya manis sih).
Lucu juga kalo dipikir-pikir. Kita ni sekelas lho. Kita punya PR sama banyaknya. Kalo banyak yang lagi pusing cari salinan, pastinya Baby juga donk kadang-kadang. Kalo rata-rata orang normal belom selesai belajar, Baby juga pasti sering belom selesai. Jadi intinya, sikon nya sama. Tapi cara menghadapinya berbeda.
Kalo dia bisa memulai hari dengan begitu ceria, bisa senyum segitu lebar, bisa membawa langkahnya dengan begitu ringan, sebenernya kita semua juga bisa. Daripada masuk kelas dengan muka ditekuk, langkah terburu-buru dan cuma menyapa temen yang kebetulan kita butuh PR-nya hihihi =D
Intinya, bersikap ceria tuh mungkin… kapan aja… di mana aja… Asal jangan di kuburan aja, bisa ditempiling orang-orang ntar hehehe… Kita memang ga bisa mengubah hal-hal yang terjadi di kehidupan kita, tapi kita bisa mengatur bagaimana sikap kita menghadapi situasi-situasi seperti itu.
Senyum itu termasuk salah satu hadiah terindah yang bisa kita berikan ke orang lain. Dan termurah (dasar bokis!! Heheheheh =P). Bisa mengubah suasana jadi lebih ceria…Dan lagi, senyum juga bisa mengubah wajah menjadi lebih cantik/ganteng… Cara yang jauh lebih aman daripada Extreme Makeover….
Intinya, kejadian ini jaman gue masi pake rok kotak-kotak. Pake rok yang panjangnya 100 mm (10 cm sih, cuma kan kalo angkanya 100 kesannya lebih dramatis gitchu…) di bawah lutut, nutupin kaos kaki. Kaos kakinya panjang, banyak orang bilang kayak kaos kaki sepak bola tapi sebenernya….. nggak banget!! Kaos kaki ini sih tipis, gampang sobek di bagian jempol kaki. Bikin banyak anak dijembreng di depan aula buat jaitin kaos kaki.
Sesuai judulnya…
“Selamat Pagi Teman-Teman!!”
Sapaan yang diiringi dengan senyum luebaaar dan bouncy steps itu dulu ga pernah absen tiap pagi di kelas gue. Satu suara, yang bisa mengubah suasana di dalam ruangan kelas tanpa aircon. Suara ini munculnya dari satu anak, aduh imut banget deh... Dia satu setengah tahun lebih muda dari rata-rata umur anak-anak sekelas. Anaknya kecil, gampang blushing, rambutnya model bob berponi, suaranya lucu, tingkahnya imut nan nyenengin... Semuanya ini disimpulkan dengan nama panggilan kesayangan yang kita kasi ke dia “Baby”.
“Selamat Pagi Baby!!”
Biasanya jawaban yang kalah ceria dari suara baby itu yang kita kasi sebagai balasan. Dan jawabannya juga ga kompak, soalnya banyak yang lagi nyalin PR, lagi berusaha ngapalin buat ulangan ntar siang, sampe ada yang berusaha mengejar waktu tidur yang kurang. Idih ga mungkin banget, ga berapa lama juga bel sekolah bakal meraung-raung dan buyarlah semua mimpi yang sedang dirajut…
Lucunya, sapaan si Baby itu kan sebenernya sesuatu yang amat sangat wajar yah. Pagi-pagi ya bilang selamat pagi. Memulai hari baru ya mestinya menyapa dengan ceria. Tapi, pada awal-awal dia nyapa kita sekelas begitu, yang ada malah wajah-wajah bengong kayak sapi ompong keangkat dari salinan PR masing-masing. Bengong, melongo, bingung. Lah ni anak ceria banget sih? Mungkin itu pikiran kita. Lah tapi apa salahnya ceria? Lama kelamaan, kita jadi terbiasa dan spontan membales sapaan manis si Baby, walau kalah ceria tapi ga kalah manis (udah dari sononya manis sih).
Lucu juga kalo dipikir-pikir. Kita ni sekelas lho. Kita punya PR sama banyaknya. Kalo banyak yang lagi pusing cari salinan, pastinya Baby juga donk kadang-kadang. Kalo rata-rata orang normal belom selesai belajar, Baby juga pasti sering belom selesai. Jadi intinya, sikon nya sama. Tapi cara menghadapinya berbeda.
Kalo dia bisa memulai hari dengan begitu ceria, bisa senyum segitu lebar, bisa membawa langkahnya dengan begitu ringan, sebenernya kita semua juga bisa. Daripada masuk kelas dengan muka ditekuk, langkah terburu-buru dan cuma menyapa temen yang kebetulan kita butuh PR-nya hihihi =D
PS: barusan bukan friendster... si Baby baru nge-add gue ckckckkckc jodoh amat seh
Intinya, bersikap ceria tuh mungkin… kapan aja… di mana aja… Asal jangan di kuburan aja, bisa ditempiling orang-orang ntar hehehe… Kita memang ga bisa mengubah hal-hal yang terjadi di kehidupan kita, tapi kita bisa mengatur bagaimana sikap kita menghadapi situasi-situasi seperti itu.
Senyum itu termasuk salah satu hadiah terindah yang bisa kita berikan ke orang lain. Dan termurah (dasar bokis!! Heheheheh =P). Bisa mengubah suasana jadi lebih ceria…Dan lagi, senyum juga bisa mengubah wajah menjadi lebih cantik/ganteng… Cara yang jauh lebih aman daripada Extreme Makeover….
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Me, Myself and the Dance
This morning, when I was on my way to Toa Payoh MRT Station, I saw some teenage girls dancing on stage. It is part of some Anti-Drugs… Youth… Singapore… dunno what. I don’t really recall.
I was amazed by their rubberized bodies, their fludity in following the rhythm, their expressions that can utter thousands words, and on top of all was… they really enjoyed it!!
It reminded me of an equally-rubberized dancer who happens to be one of my close friends (and who is my exact opposite in dancing). Her name is M****** M******. The stars follow her actual name, not the ‘-tje’ version. She was one of the dancers in PERHAPS LOVE The Musical.
During the dance practices, I spent hours (in total, in the duration of few months) to observe and try to digest about the dance movement. Never tried to imitate though… Never had enough courage to do that. May be when I was still in my mother’s womb there was some disturbances that caused my motoric sensors not really growing to the state that it should be. May be when its cells were forming, there was a troop of topeng monyet passing by…
Anyway, topeng monyet aside, I am 100% conscious to realize that dancing is really out of my dictionary. I think when I was in a ballet class (Sumber Cipta asuhan Farida Feisol, Tomang) I have made the hair of my instructor (Mr. Okky Sidharta) even curlier. Mind you, before I joined his class it was already the short version of Lenny Kravits. And afterwards, well… can you imagine? May be if I continue my dancing in any classes, I will definitely generate a juicier revenue for those beauty saloons who provide the hair rebonding services….
One of our dear friend, C****, once gave a very good suggestion to make me able to dance. Ridiculous though, but I guess it’s the only one to work out. OK, here we go… he kindly suggested to input and execute a defined function in my brain who will control the movement of each muscles. I wonder, any way to do it? Any USB ports in my body, anyone?
That already-ridiculous idea was exacerbated with my own. What’s that? I suggested that we also provide a closed loop control function. Hence, in the case that my body does some unintended movement (different from the function, that is) I’ll get automatically slapped or electrocuted…..
Me, Myself and Anything But the Dance,
Rhea
I was amazed by their rubberized bodies, their fludity in following the rhythm, their expressions that can utter thousands words, and on top of all was… they really enjoyed it!!
It reminded me of an equally-rubberized dancer who happens to be one of my close friends (and who is my exact opposite in dancing). Her name is M****** M******. The stars follow her actual name, not the ‘-tje’ version. She was one of the dancers in PERHAPS LOVE The Musical.
During the dance practices, I spent hours (in total, in the duration of few months) to observe and try to digest about the dance movement. Never tried to imitate though… Never had enough courage to do that. May be when I was still in my mother’s womb there was some disturbances that caused my motoric sensors not really growing to the state that it should be. May be when its cells were forming, there was a troop of topeng monyet passing by…
Anyway, topeng monyet aside, I am 100% conscious to realize that dancing is really out of my dictionary. I think when I was in a ballet class (Sumber Cipta asuhan Farida Feisol, Tomang) I have made the hair of my instructor (Mr. Okky Sidharta) even curlier. Mind you, before I joined his class it was already the short version of Lenny Kravits. And afterwards, well… can you imagine? May be if I continue my dancing in any classes, I will definitely generate a juicier revenue for those beauty saloons who provide the hair rebonding services….
One of our dear friend, C****, once gave a very good suggestion to make me able to dance. Ridiculous though, but I guess it’s the only one to work out. OK, here we go… he kindly suggested to input and execute a defined function in my brain who will control the movement of each muscles. I wonder, any way to do it? Any USB ports in my body, anyone?
That already-ridiculous idea was exacerbated with my own. What’s that? I suggested that we also provide a closed loop control function. Hence, in the case that my body does some unintended movement (different from the function, that is) I’ll get automatically slapped or electrocuted…..
Me, Myself and Anything But the Dance,
Rhea
My Shadow
Another reflection of mine. Done on one morning. Enjoy!!
MY SHADOW
I saw my own shadow
On the pavement.
Not from the sun rays though
It was the street lights who casted it.
Early in the morning I left
Stars were still above
Bleary-eyed
From the disturbed sleep
And yet my feet still walked
Each second was one step further
Looking down to my own shadow
Expresionless face, as a silhouette can be
But I know what it says
Tired
Tensed
Scared
About the new day that’s yet to come
With all the challenges ahead
Look up!!
You’ll see that life’s everywhere
Everyone is rushing
In school uniforms
In work uniforms
In housewifey clothes
In pants and suits
Look down again…
See your shadows keep on walking
On the pavement
From the streetlights, not the sunrays
You know you can do it!!
And at the end of the day
You will say…
“It’s another day that the Lord has made, and Thank GOD I’ve made it another fruitful day.”
JRPL – 21 February 2005
PS: The inspiring shadow was seen in front of McDonalds Toa Payoh, Singapore, at around 6.30 am.
Ritter Sports
This simple piece that you are just about to read,
will show you how much I am crazy about a sinful friend called CHOCOLATE...
My Tribute to RITTER SPORTS
Finally I’ve found you..
The only one who can give me warmth when I shiver
When I lose my way, you clear my mind
When I’m craving, you fulfill me
You let me taste the sweetness…
When hope fades in this bitter life…
You never fail to lift me up…
You are the light of my days,
My shield in cold and dark nights…
Without you I’ll lose my strength
Ritter Sports,
You are my reason for living.
You are my everything..
Rhum and raisins I’ve tried
It’s the best that I’ve got
Not only because your wrapping is daring red
Your sexy taste of rhums dances away with chunks of hazelnuts..
White Chocolate Hazelnut is dazzling
It offers a different kind of sweetness
So feminine..
And the chunks of hazelnuts never fails to excite me
Noix Coco you tender chap..
Moist coconut inside two layers of chocolate
The chocolate is the groom, and the coconut is the bride
Their ebony and ivory marriage is as harmonious as ever…
I’ve finally found the sweet and sour chocolate
I’ve never known that you’ll walk into my life
It’s the Yoghurt Chocolate
So soft, so tender, so yummy..
The galletas with biscuits inside,
Reminds me of that drawing release deadline
When I munched over you and everybody asked to try some..
Your biscuit taste is superior than Twix..
I’ll never forget the Cappuccino Chocolate
It’s the warmest of all
When I shiver at night and thought of falling sick
I took a bit and you’ve saved my life
How can I forget the Cornflakes Chocolate?
The vulnerable taste of milk chocolate slow dances with the crunchy cornflakes
It’s the limelight of the dance floor
Noir, brun, blanc
Whatever colors you have,
Your place inside my heart never changes
Hazelnuts, almonds, raisins…
Without you I’ll go nuts.
Luckily you never make me fat
Ritter Sports,
You…
Complete..
Me…
Rhea Patricia
Singapore, 14 August 2004
2.33 am
A Tribute to the One I Love
will show you how much I am crazy about a sinful friend called CHOCOLATE...
My Tribute to RITTER SPORTS
Finally I’ve found you..
The only one who can give me warmth when I shiver
When I lose my way, you clear my mind
When I’m craving, you fulfill me
You let me taste the sweetness…
When hope fades in this bitter life…
You never fail to lift me up…
You are the light of my days,
My shield in cold and dark nights…
Without you I’ll lose my strength
Ritter Sports,
You are my reason for living.
You are my everything..
Rhum and raisins I’ve tried
It’s the best that I’ve got
Not only because your wrapping is daring red
Your sexy taste of rhums dances away with chunks of hazelnuts..
White Chocolate Hazelnut is dazzling
It offers a different kind of sweetness
So feminine..
And the chunks of hazelnuts never fails to excite me
Noix Coco you tender chap..
Moist coconut inside two layers of chocolate
The chocolate is the groom, and the coconut is the bride
Their ebony and ivory marriage is as harmonious as ever…
I’ve finally found the sweet and sour chocolate
I’ve never known that you’ll walk into my life
It’s the Yoghurt Chocolate
So soft, so tender, so yummy..
The galletas with biscuits inside,
Reminds me of that drawing release deadline
When I munched over you and everybody asked to try some..
Your biscuit taste is superior than Twix..
I’ll never forget the Cappuccino Chocolate
It’s the warmest of all
When I shiver at night and thought of falling sick
I took a bit and you’ve saved my life
How can I forget the Cornflakes Chocolate?
The vulnerable taste of milk chocolate slow dances with the crunchy cornflakes
It’s the limelight of the dance floor
Noir, brun, blanc
Whatever colors you have,
Your place inside my heart never changes
Hazelnuts, almonds, raisins…
Without you I’ll go nuts.
Luckily you never make me fat
Ritter Sports,
You…
Complete..
Me…
Rhea Patricia
Singapore, 14 August 2004
2.33 am
A Tribute to the One I Love
Friday, February 25, 2005
I learn what life's about...
By loving you, through the years….
This is part of the song as being the last thing I listened to before my unintentional sleep yesterday night. Finishing my working days for this week, I went back home jovially on Friday 25 February 2005. Refusing to take a look at those printers-to-be lying around in the office, I walk highly determinedly at 7 pm (definitely the earliest for this week) to the direction of the EXIT sign. I waved a cheerful goodbye with joy leaping inside to my two hardworking fellow engineers; Raghu and Sai, who were still playing with the printer. Pressing the release button, and there I was, stepping my precious feet onto the Land of Liberty.
Buses 100 and 153 have safely sent me home. Having my simple dinner in front of my laptop, I played the Kenny Rogers’ Live by Request DVD. Wow, man… I’ve chosen the right and soothing way to end my tired and stressful days. Songs by songs, lyrics by lyrics entered my head… and heart.
A bit of flashback, I had always been anomalous among my peers back in secondary school – high school days (Indonesian education system). When Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Alanis Morisette (how to spell her name correctly by the way?), and… -who else?- were the most-talked about during break or even in the classroom, I could only just stay silently and think “Who are they?”. I had nobody (among my school mates) to discuss high and low about the music genre that I listened to; The Everly Brothers, The Brothers Four, Beach Boys, Eagles, Louis Armstrong, Cliff Richard, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Abba, The Carpenter, and yeah… of course my favourite Kenny Rogers. Thanks to my dad who constantly bought their collection of CDs. Then my dad spotted this and before I lagged too far behind about what is sung in the Grammy or what’s on top of the stack @ Disc Tara, Aquarius or the likes… he re-activated the Cable-TV and really encouraged me to watch MTV-Asia. Only since then that I got acquainted (virtually, of course) with Mike Kaseem, Rahul Khana, Nadia Hutagalung and Sarah Sechan. Then I could talk in the same frequency with my peers. Therefore, since my second term (caturwulan 2) of first year in Santa Ursula High School, those MTV VJs took turn to greet me after schools. Then the TV would still be on ‘til late afternoon, before being switched to telenovela (Esmeralda). So I listen to “today's music” during lunch, and whenever I came out from cramming myself with books and homework in my room to the toilette. Sometimes I just stopped by in front of the TV if something interesting was blasting. So the default channel was MTV (after school – night), and only switched to other channels when somebody wanted to watch something else. So, MTV is a huge part of my Journey of Teenagehood.
But still, my favourite program in MTV was…. MTV Classic. Oh Gosh. It is the program when I could see the young Lionel Richie crooning “Hello”, Jackson Five dancing away in the clip….
Well, keeping up with what’s happening in the current music industry is one thing, but my first preference still stays unreplacable, unshaken and unchanged. Even until now, my music collection was definitely an outlier in my generation. Didn’t mean that I am the only one, though….
Oh Holy Ghost, this flashback is definitely not ‘a bit’…
OK, back to last night….
Repeatedly I played those of my favourites: Island in the Stream (sans Dolly Parton, too bad), She Believes in Me, Through the Years (the aforementioned song), Lady, Crazy, You Decorated My Life. Other songs also, of course, but not as often.
I am just amazed (for years) about how the lyricists could put the simple words together to weave a POWERFUL meaning. That’s what I like best about oldies actually. They use very simple words, what lies beneath them is DEEP, SUPERBLY DEEP.
As for Kenny Rogers’ songs (esp. those that I mentioned), they are truly the songs to be sung by a man to a woman (oops, a LADY as he sings it), and mean it wholeheartedly of course. It will be pointless if he doesn’t do it that way.
Another thing that is so sexy about his voice is about how he sings intermittently. Take a look at these:
“For the rest of my life, all I nee hee hee hee hee d is you.” (Crazy)
“You have made me what I am, a ha ha ha ha nd I’m yours.” (Lady)
“Let me hold you in my arms fo ho ho ho ho r evermore.” (Lady)
“You have come into my life a ha ha ha ha nd make me whole.” (Lady)
Just a few examples, but you won’t always find that intermittence in his recordings (CDs). But he did so in my DVD, and it was just… great!!!
Have a blessed weekend!!
Rhea
This is part of the song as being the last thing I listened to before my unintentional sleep yesterday night. Finishing my working days for this week, I went back home jovially on Friday 25 February 2005. Refusing to take a look at those printers-to-be lying around in the office, I walk highly determinedly at 7 pm (definitely the earliest for this week) to the direction of the EXIT sign. I waved a cheerful goodbye with joy leaping inside to my two hardworking fellow engineers; Raghu and Sai, who were still playing with the printer. Pressing the release button, and there I was, stepping my precious feet onto the Land of Liberty.
Buses 100 and 153 have safely sent me home. Having my simple dinner in front of my laptop, I played the Kenny Rogers’ Live by Request DVD. Wow, man… I’ve chosen the right and soothing way to end my tired and stressful days. Songs by songs, lyrics by lyrics entered my head… and heart.
A bit of flashback, I had always been anomalous among my peers back in secondary school – high school days (Indonesian education system). When Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Alanis Morisette (how to spell her name correctly by the way?), and… -who else?- were the most-talked about during break or even in the classroom, I could only just stay silently and think “Who are they?”. I had nobody (among my school mates) to discuss high and low about the music genre that I listened to; The Everly Brothers, The Brothers Four, Beach Boys, Eagles, Louis Armstrong, Cliff Richard, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Abba, The Carpenter, and yeah… of course my favourite Kenny Rogers. Thanks to my dad who constantly bought their collection of CDs. Then my dad spotted this and before I lagged too far behind about what is sung in the Grammy or what’s on top of the stack @ Disc Tara, Aquarius or the likes… he re-activated the Cable-TV and really encouraged me to watch MTV-Asia. Only since then that I got acquainted (virtually, of course) with Mike Kaseem, Rahul Khana, Nadia Hutagalung and Sarah Sechan. Then I could talk in the same frequency with my peers. Therefore, since my second term (caturwulan 2) of first year in Santa Ursula High School, those MTV VJs took turn to greet me after schools. Then the TV would still be on ‘til late afternoon, before being switched to telenovela (Esmeralda). So I listen to “today's music” during lunch, and whenever I came out from cramming myself with books and homework in my room to the toilette. Sometimes I just stopped by in front of the TV if something interesting was blasting. So the default channel was MTV (after school – night), and only switched to other channels when somebody wanted to watch something else. So, MTV is a huge part of my Journey of Teenagehood.
But still, my favourite program in MTV was…. MTV Classic. Oh Gosh. It is the program when I could see the young Lionel Richie crooning “Hello”, Jackson Five dancing away in the clip….
Well, keeping up with what’s happening in the current music industry is one thing, but my first preference still stays unreplacable, unshaken and unchanged. Even until now, my music collection was definitely an outlier in my generation. Didn’t mean that I am the only one, though….
Oh Holy Ghost, this flashback is definitely not ‘a bit’…
OK, back to last night….
Repeatedly I played those of my favourites: Island in the Stream (sans Dolly Parton, too bad), She Believes in Me, Through the Years (the aforementioned song), Lady, Crazy, You Decorated My Life. Other songs also, of course, but not as often.
I am just amazed (for years) about how the lyricists could put the simple words together to weave a POWERFUL meaning. That’s what I like best about oldies actually. They use very simple words, what lies beneath them is DEEP, SUPERBLY DEEP.
As for Kenny Rogers’ songs (esp. those that I mentioned), they are truly the songs to be sung by a man to a woman (oops, a LADY as he sings it), and mean it wholeheartedly of course. It will be pointless if he doesn’t do it that way.
Another thing that is so sexy about his voice is about how he sings intermittently. Take a look at these:
“For the rest of my life, all I nee hee hee hee hee d is you.” (Crazy)
“You have made me what I am, a ha ha ha ha nd I’m yours.” (Lady)
“Let me hold you in my arms fo ho ho ho ho r evermore.” (Lady)
“You have come into my life a ha ha ha ha nd make me whole.” (Lady)
Just a few examples, but you won’t always find that intermittence in his recordings (CDs). But he did so in my DVD, and it was just… great!!!
Have a blessed weekend!!
Rhea
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Getting the message across...
Selamat Pagi Dunia!!
Well, I haven't finished my cup of morning coffee so I'll just continue writing (correction: typing) here. This morning, inside the 153 bus (Toa Payoh-Queensway) I continued reading "Story and Characters", a compilation of interviews with British screenwriters done by Alistair Owen. There was something that refresh my mind about one game session in last year's retreat (Mudika KKIS Retreat 2004). Nothing to do with scriptwriting, though...
What we had on one session during retreat (conducted by Father William Chang OFM Cap) was meant to know how well does a message get across. Each group leader was given one LONG sentence and we had to read it to our fellow teammates. They had to memorize it and then re-tell the message. From that, we would be able to know how normally a message stays in one's mind.
So the sentences were (I don't know whether I still remember or not. Ga ada contekan):
Seorang gadis desa yang muda dan cantik dengan mata biru dan pipi jingga serta berambut pirang membawa seember susu sapi di atas kepalanya. Tangan kanannya menjinjing sebuah ember merah.
What happened on that night was, most of the people managed to get the message and re-tell a similar message though not in an exact sentence. Some of them changed a bit, e.g. jadi ember biru, gadis desa yang manis dan cantik and one even changed the red bucket to a red bag (ngebayangin cewek di orchard kali bukan di desa hehehehe =P).
So our conclusion was: when people receive a message, they tend to visualize it at the back of their mind. With our limitation in memory space, I think it is good enough. And most of the time we indeed do not need to remember exactly words by words, comma by comma, full stop by full stop.
What reminded me of this was: In the "Story and Characters" book, Richard Curtis (Scriptwriter for The Four Wedding and A Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually to name a few) shared with us that few years after he wrote the script for "The Tall Guy", he endlessly answered to the questions about "The Tall Man" and "The Big Guy"....
Two more tiring and mind-boggling working days before weekend,
Rhea.
Well, I haven't finished my cup of morning coffee so I'll just continue writing (correction: typing) here. This morning, inside the 153 bus (Toa Payoh-Queensway) I continued reading "Story and Characters", a compilation of interviews with British screenwriters done by Alistair Owen. There was something that refresh my mind about one game session in last year's retreat (Mudika KKIS Retreat 2004). Nothing to do with scriptwriting, though...
What we had on one session during retreat (conducted by Father William Chang OFM Cap) was meant to know how well does a message get across. Each group leader was given one LONG sentence and we had to read it to our fellow teammates. They had to memorize it and then re-tell the message. From that, we would be able to know how normally a message stays in one's mind.
So the sentences were (I don't know whether I still remember or not. Ga ada contekan):
Seorang gadis desa yang muda dan cantik dengan mata biru dan pipi jingga serta berambut pirang membawa seember susu sapi di atas kepalanya. Tangan kanannya menjinjing sebuah ember merah.
What happened on that night was, most of the people managed to get the message and re-tell a similar message though not in an exact sentence. Some of them changed a bit, e.g. jadi ember biru, gadis desa yang manis dan cantik and one even changed the red bucket to a red bag (ngebayangin cewek di orchard kali bukan di desa hehehehe =P).
So our conclusion was: when people receive a message, they tend to visualize it at the back of their mind. With our limitation in memory space, I think it is good enough. And most of the time we indeed do not need to remember exactly words by words, comma by comma, full stop by full stop.
What reminded me of this was: In the "Story and Characters" book, Richard Curtis (Scriptwriter for The Four Wedding and A Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually to name a few) shared with us that few years after he wrote the script for "The Tall Guy", he endlessly answered to the questions about "The Tall Man" and "The Big Guy"....
Two more tiring and mind-boggling working days before weekend,
Rhea.
Sugar and Sugarless...
Bonjour, tout le monde...
It is actually a not-so-important topic to talk about and will give no effect whatsoever to us in carrying on with our daily lives. (Intinya: Ada gunting ada pedang. Ga penting, sayang....)
Anyway, it just crossed my mind yesterday and I thought... well, no harm writing about this. It's my own blog anyway.
Nowadays, people are crazy inventing so many things, including sugarless sweets (sugarless sweets, let's put it sugarless candies as 'sugarless' doesn't really go along with 'sweet') which can really taste just like any other sugared sweets. Thanks to the advancement in food and chemical industry, I suppose.
Eventhough they have managed to make the taste identical, but they always fail to kill the aftertaste that the sugar left lingering in your mouth, or in your throat.
I've mistakenly bought Clorets with "Ocean Mint" flavour (it should be salty and minty then... but surprisingly it is not. It can lead to another discussion -> why people chose those names? Oh well, may be in other part of the world, the sea water is not salty, but it never came across in my geography lesson during my younger days... it always has certain degree of salinity). What I meant by "mistakenly" is that I bought the bigger package, thinking that it is just bigger than the small one (durr??) but found out that it is also the sugared version, which I never prefer than the other one. And I knew it not after reading the ingredients (unless you are waiting for your turn to present your Final Year Project to a killer moderator -> Prof. Xie Ming for example *traumatic*, then you don't need to read the ingredients to kill the time) but after having that certain aftertaste.
Ouuww ya, suddenly I remember about ptialin enzyme (is it the correct spelling?) in our saliva. So I guess that's why we can't get rid of the lingering aftertaste of sugar (Dear Biology students, please enlighten me and do correct me if I'm wrong).
But you all agree that apart from the aftertaste, they are the same, right?? Sama-sama kayak makan odol.....
-Rhea-
It is actually a not-so-important topic to talk about and will give no effect whatsoever to us in carrying on with our daily lives. (Intinya: Ada gunting ada pedang. Ga penting, sayang....)
Anyway, it just crossed my mind yesterday and I thought... well, no harm writing about this. It's my own blog anyway.
Nowadays, people are crazy inventing so many things, including sugarless sweets (sugarless sweets, let's put it sugarless candies as 'sugarless' doesn't really go along with 'sweet') which can really taste just like any other sugared sweets. Thanks to the advancement in food and chemical industry, I suppose.
Eventhough they have managed to make the taste identical, but they always fail to kill the aftertaste that the sugar left lingering in your mouth, or in your throat.
I've mistakenly bought Clorets with "Ocean Mint" flavour (it should be salty and minty then... but surprisingly it is not. It can lead to another discussion -> why people chose those names? Oh well, may be in other part of the world, the sea water is not salty, but it never came across in my geography lesson during my younger days... it always has certain degree of salinity). What I meant by "mistakenly" is that I bought the bigger package, thinking that it is just bigger than the small one (durr??) but found out that it is also the sugared version, which I never prefer than the other one. And I knew it not after reading the ingredients (unless you are waiting for your turn to present your Final Year Project to a killer moderator -> Prof. Xie Ming for example *traumatic*, then you don't need to read the ingredients to kill the time) but after having that certain aftertaste.
Ouuww ya, suddenly I remember about ptialin enzyme (is it the correct spelling?) in our saliva. So I guess that's why we can't get rid of the lingering aftertaste of sugar (Dear Biology students, please enlighten me and do correct me if I'm wrong).
But you all agree that apart from the aftertaste, they are the same, right?? Sama-sama kayak makan odol.....
-Rhea-
Let's Talk About....
Love?
Nope. That's Celine Dion's song.
Art.
I am definitely not going to lecture you about art, as I am not even close to an expert. Just a common observer. I believe some of you sometimes are just wondering why a jumble of straight lines can be a piece of art, and worth around S$ 4000? It is actually what crossed our minds when our Art teacher, Mr. Lim Soo Ngee brought us around to the Art Exhibition in NAFA, just downstairs from our classroom. "We" here refer to me and my peers in the Western Art class (very beginners are we). It has good mix of colours, true. But why is that selling so high? We don't need to be an artist to be able to make straight lines, do we?
When my friends were questioning and Mr. Lim was busy explaining about the texture, colour, impression, optical effect (is it what he said?) and dunno what dunno what, something just flashed in my head.
Remembering the time when Mr. Lim corrects our drawing in our drawing blocks. He uses a certain technique just to HOLD THE PENCIL. Even until now, I still can't immitate that. Just to hold the pencil, for my goodness sake... OK, try this. Just put the last segment of your small finger (of which hand that you use, right for my case) on the paper, your palm floating above the paper and you just hold and move the pencil with your thumb, point and middle finger. What do you usually do? Looking at me and my classmates, we conclude that the commoners do it this way: put your palm on the paper, supported by the outside part and... smudge all over the paper. All the graphite from the pencil/charcoal/pastels/crayon/etc... will be over your not-so-professional drawing. Even until my seventh lesson, I still can't follow the way Mr. Lim holds the pencil. Try it and you will know that even drawing a straight line is a struggle. If it's easy for you, OMG.. it means I have to catch up really fast because I'm paying for the course, sacrificing my Sunday mornings, and you.. who are just reading blogs over blogs.. costless, can do it in a blink.
So my dear friend, from now on even if we still can't really fathom what lies beneath the straight lines, what are the hidden meaning, at least we appreciate their strenuous effort.
But the painting that we saw was actually done with oil, in a big canvas... It means they would not do it with the aforementioned technique. Oh well, just take it as: she/he is just a shorty who has to put an extra effort to step up onto a raiser and step down again and at the same time maintaining the straightness of the lines.
Lesson learnt after the exhibition visit: it is indeed easier to be an art critic rather than an artist.....
Arty farty party,
Rhere -not an artist to be-
ps: another confession -> I still can't sharpen my pencil the way he does. Though I've bought the OLFA 30 degrees pen knife. So in conclusion, for what purpose does my course fee go?
Nope. That's Celine Dion's song.
Art.
I am definitely not going to lecture you about art, as I am not even close to an expert. Just a common observer. I believe some of you sometimes are just wondering why a jumble of straight lines can be a piece of art, and worth around S$ 4000? It is actually what crossed our minds when our Art teacher, Mr. Lim Soo Ngee brought us around to the Art Exhibition in NAFA, just downstairs from our classroom. "We" here refer to me and my peers in the Western Art class (very beginners are we). It has good mix of colours, true. But why is that selling so high? We don't need to be an artist to be able to make straight lines, do we?
When my friends were questioning and Mr. Lim was busy explaining about the texture, colour, impression, optical effect (is it what he said?) and dunno what dunno what, something just flashed in my head.
Remembering the time when Mr. Lim corrects our drawing in our drawing blocks. He uses a certain technique just to HOLD THE PENCIL. Even until now, I still can't immitate that. Just to hold the pencil, for my goodness sake... OK, try this. Just put the last segment of your small finger (of which hand that you use, right for my case) on the paper, your palm floating above the paper and you just hold and move the pencil with your thumb, point and middle finger. What do you usually do? Looking at me and my classmates, we conclude that the commoners do it this way: put your palm on the paper, supported by the outside part and... smudge all over the paper. All the graphite from the pencil/charcoal/pastels/crayon/etc... will be over your not-so-professional drawing. Even until my seventh lesson, I still can't follow the way Mr. Lim holds the pencil. Try it and you will know that even drawing a straight line is a struggle. If it's easy for you, OMG.. it means I have to catch up really fast because I'm paying for the course, sacrificing my Sunday mornings, and you.. who are just reading blogs over blogs.. costless, can do it in a blink.
So my dear friend, from now on even if we still can't really fathom what lies beneath the straight lines, what are the hidden meaning, at least we appreciate their strenuous effort.
But the painting that we saw was actually done with oil, in a big canvas... It means they would not do it with the aforementioned technique. Oh well, just take it as: she/he is just a shorty who has to put an extra effort to step up onto a raiser and step down again and at the same time maintaining the straightness of the lines.
Lesson learnt after the exhibition visit: it is indeed easier to be an art critic rather than an artist.....
Arty farty party,
Rhere -not an artist to be-
ps: another confession -> I still can't sharpen my pencil the way he does. Though I've bought the OLFA 30 degrees pen knife. So in conclusion, for what purpose does my course fee go?
The Debut...
Hi all..
As the title says.. It is the first time for me to post onto my own blog. Yeah, finally. First of all, before we go any further anywhere, let me give you a bit of insight about the title that I use to name this page. JUST SCRIBBLES... Hmm, it is quite self-explanatory I guess. Just scribbles. The writing that doesn't need editing, doesn't need pondering, simply a writing. I don't expect to compete with Gibran, Chairil Anwar, Helen Steiner Rice, Ernest Hemmingway to name a few. I'm afraid they will have a confidence crisis. As if I can... *tau diri donk woii!!* So please just enjoy the writing as it is, please don't scrutinize the grammar... but all comments are definitely welcome =)
Actually, it's been months (or years?) since I first wanted to create a blog and join the troop of cyber-active people like you. Cliche reason, I don't have the luxury of spare time to write down my thoughts. At times, people just want to do something well, you know? What I meant is, I thought I should write something nice, hmm.. at least presentable -let's put it this way- and it comes in the package with spending an ample of time to write. Which now, I think... what the hell... just write. Just Scribbles. *grin*
Still, the launch of this precious blog was still postponed for quite some time. "After I am done with the Perhaps Love The Musical..." But then, what a tragedy (not that dramatic lah) with my 12-14 hours daily at work plus some additional hours during weekend, it is a bit incredulous (for me) to present a not-so-bad blog to you all. Nevertheless, the Zeroth Law of Living hit me one more time, that procrastination will lead you nowhere. Oh, well... somewhere actually. To cancellation. So here I am, starting it. And who will know that on one of these nights, my dear billionaire CEO will get struck by lightning, have a brainwash and change the working nature in V****** C*** entirely. Or one day an enormous genotype mutation occurs in this very part of the globe, and I wake up one forenoon having a preternatural mastery in mechanical engine design. Another possibility is when I receive a letter with a royal postal stamp saying that I am actually one of the exchanged babies and actually I am an heiress of... someone. Who is damn rich and I don't have to labour myself anymore. Or... oh well, I guess I'm getting too far here. Well well well the moral of this paragraph is: I'm starting my blog now!!
With the grace of the Lord and the courage to proceed, I baptize this blog to be part of the ever-exciting cyber community. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Solemnization completed.
A joyous and warm regards to everyone,
Rhea Patricia Liem
As the title says.. It is the first time for me to post onto my own blog. Yeah, finally. First of all, before we go any further anywhere, let me give you a bit of insight about the title that I use to name this page. JUST SCRIBBLES... Hmm, it is quite self-explanatory I guess. Just scribbles. The writing that doesn't need editing, doesn't need pondering, simply a writing. I don't expect to compete with Gibran, Chairil Anwar, Helen Steiner Rice, Ernest Hemmingway to name a few. I'm afraid they will have a confidence crisis. As if I can... *tau diri donk woii!!* So please just enjoy the writing as it is, please don't scrutinize the grammar... but all comments are definitely welcome =)
Actually, it's been months (or years?) since I first wanted to create a blog and join the troop of cyber-active people like you. Cliche reason, I don't have the luxury of spare time to write down my thoughts. At times, people just want to do something well, you know? What I meant is, I thought I should write something nice, hmm.. at least presentable -let's put it this way- and it comes in the package with spending an ample of time to write. Which now, I think... what the hell... just write. Just Scribbles. *grin*
Still, the launch of this precious blog was still postponed for quite some time. "After I am done with the Perhaps Love The Musical..." But then, what a tragedy (not that dramatic lah) with my 12-14 hours daily at work plus some additional hours during weekend, it is a bit incredulous (for me) to present a not-so-bad blog to you all. Nevertheless, the Zeroth Law of Living hit me one more time, that procrastination will lead you nowhere. Oh, well... somewhere actually. To cancellation. So here I am, starting it. And who will know that on one of these nights, my dear billionaire CEO will get struck by lightning, have a brainwash and change the working nature in V****** C*** entirely. Or one day an enormous genotype mutation occurs in this very part of the globe, and I wake up one forenoon having a preternatural mastery in mechanical engine design. Another possibility is when I receive a letter with a royal postal stamp saying that I am actually one of the exchanged babies and actually I am an heiress of... someone. Who is damn rich and I don't have to labour myself anymore. Or... oh well, I guess I'm getting too far here. Well well well the moral of this paragraph is: I'm starting my blog now!!
With the grace of the Lord and the courage to proceed, I baptize this blog to be part of the ever-exciting cyber community. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Solemnization completed.
A joyous and warm regards to everyone,
Rhea Patricia Liem
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