I really hope that this blog will not be just another 'Path'. You know, where people would upload everything and anything. I will actually write and post anything I want, just because it matters to me, not to anyone else. That is, I think, the danger of social media--it makes people think that some things only matter when it is uploaded, when other people see it. And thus social media has become a bragging site--where people brag, not necessarily share. These days I long for the sharing actually, in which I do not have to worry about my image. Thing is, it is indeed not so easy to have such people you can share everything with, paying attention to every simple and useless stories you have.
Wait, I think I have blabbered too much.
Anyway, this blog shall be a reminder of mundane things that matter.
1. Cum Laude
There is this coffee shop in Kutek (abbreviation of Kukusan Teknik--where my kosan is at) called Cum Laude. I have not yet asked the owner why they name it that way, but if I were the owner I would reason that "in the name I pray that everyone who walk through the door will graduate, with cum laude title." So noble, eh. But well I would also add "the more they buy my coffee, the harder I pray."
I actually like going there. Cum laude is one of the two place where it does not feel like Kutek at all; the other one being Angkringan. They actually have decent food for the price. Their fries come in abundance considering the cheap price, and the indomie was not bad (they call one bowl of indomie 'single', and two bowls 'taken'. ha) I was actually disappointed with the indomie since THEY BROKE THE YOLK. But well I ate it anyway and it was actually rather delicious.
The interior was unique, though I would not say it is mindblowing, It plays with the name 'Cum Laude' and divide the room by semesters. So you have Semester I near the front door and Semester VIII by the cashier. People barely notice though and just sit whereever. Well the owner would not check for every consumer's student card anyway.
There are also these words painting as the ornament.
I just hope that for this one time, they will not go out of business. Even after I became a student here, I heard that it has been replaced around two times. The last time I remember it was like a food court... but I am happy it has become like this. At least I know where to go if I feel bored and long for fries. Now, if only they fix their WiFi, it will be really perfect!
2. The Trees
It is now rainy season in Depok, and I think it influences
me in some way. I don’t know, I have not been very inspired these days. I keep
feeling this emptiness (?). It is also part of the reason why I started this
blog.
Anyway, I actually like this season. I like how the trees
got happier, greener. I love how it is not so hot anymore and that it is
justifiable to wear thicker clothes.
This shillouette is from when I was on my way to Perpusat.
It resembles... wings? Maybe.
3. Rong
So there is this cat, kucing barong, you may say, that lives in our Kos. See, he is actually very cute, despite all the fights and trash can explorations he does everyday.
4. The Wedding
My dearest Mbak Susi has gotten married. She has been a strong girl this far, what with the tumultous love stories she had before she finally arrived at this point. It really must not have been easy, both for her and for the family, but I believe she had it the hardest. While this is and should not be the ending of her happy story, I am glad that she at least got to settle down with the guy she loves.
Budhe told me not to be picky, because Mba Susi may have ended up that way because she has been picky with men. Budhe said that Mba Susi was not being grateful. However, the way I see it, she was just being honest with her heart. She can be picky because she knows what she wants. She is actually being grateful, because she lives honestly as her heart says. It may seem that she took a detour, the difficult way to finally come at this point, but I believe she learns just as much.
Looking at her, being all glowing, in one of the coolest marriage I have ever been to (I totally want my wedding to play the same playlist! Payung Teduh! The Script!) , has been one of my joy this past week.
5. Teachers
At the wedding I was offered by Mba Nining, Mba Susi's older sister, to accompany her to Purwakarta. She was invited to be a speaker in one of the session.... in Indonesia Mengajar training! I totally said yes. wkwk.
It was raining the whole way to Purwakarta. The training camp was some sort of company village, and we stopped at a big house in which the teachers (Pengajar Muda/ PM) have trained the past six weeks. They were the best fifty among 8000 applicants, a really scary number. Scary, however, did not cross my mind at all as I looked around. The house were filled with dreams, as on every wall they wrote and glued their hopes and wishes about education in Indonesia.
I was impressed.
Mba Nining's session was about creative learning media. She has been making educational toys for years, and her works have been exported to as far as the States. She has also been in and out TV for a few times, and it is only fitting that she is invited to teach the PM.
She managed to bring the creativity sides of the PM out, with her challenge to them: make a creative learning media with recycled stuffs in twenty minutes!
I was impressed once again by their presentations.
I realized one thing, though. The media is only as good as the teacher. No matter how good the media is, in the end there is a reason why it is called 'media': it serves to facilitate the teacher. There were some good medias but in the end the reaction was flat because the teacher cannot utilize it. Vice versa, there were some simple medias that work because of the teachers' charms.
Furthermore, the medias need to be understandable. Teachers have to put themselves in the kids' shoes, because sophistication means nothing when kids do not understand it. We are often trapped in the sophistated words and jargons, forgetting how simple the world is still for kids. IMO, the ones who are truly genius are those who can transfer the knowledge in simplest way possible, in a way that an elementary school kid would understand.
Therefore, teachers need to be smart, and creative. It is a fact we often take for granted in this education system of ours.
I heard some informations about the training system, how the PMs cannot use their handphones during weekdays, how they have to eat cassava leaves as their only dish (I do not recall the frequency, but it is because they have to get used to make do and eat with whatever they have around), they have to train under Kopassus... Difficult? Indeed. Challenging? Certainly. Am I discouraged? Maybe a little. Will I still try applying? TOTALLY.
I have been saying this for years, but one certain thing that I would do after graduation is to try applying to IM. Yesterday's experience gave me more push to really try applying, and preparing myself in the meantime. I have to gain more organizational experience for that, and I am considering of things that I can do next year. One of them, is GUIM
6. Friends
This morning I attended the inauguration of Gerakan UI Mengajar, since I was invited by Fadlin. He was selected as the Top 36 among 750 applicants... and I cannot be more proud. He has not been very active, compared to high school, so it is really nice to see him challenge himself.
You know, I was a bit reminded of how, when your friends achieve something, you will only be happy for like 5 seconds before starting to think 'What have I done with my life?' If you're a fan of HIMYM like me, you must have been reminded by an episode in that series when Barney bought a diamond suit. That rings true to me, actually, because I am actually a very competitive person. I do not like losing (well no one is) but... I keep trying to outdo myself. It gets bad when I start comparing. Especially with my own friends. Ugh.
I have learned, however, to be happy with my friends, just like how they do when I achieve something. Fadlin would know this best, and he has reminded me to be grounded, as I cannot be on the winning streak all the time. These days definitely are not one my winning streak, but to see my friends in theirs, I cannot help to be proud and happy. I know very well how hard they have worked for everything, and their achievements actually inspire me out of my emptiness.
7. Beyond Oblivion
"My, how come you do not come here anymore?"
That's Budhe's question as soon as I came. A week after the wedding, I stayed the night in Budhe's after the Purwakarta trip. I was flustered--I did not realize it had been that long after my last visit. I was touched, actually.
These days I have been feeling like I am in the verge of oblivion. Would anyone try finding me if I am gone? Do I really matter? No, I am not suicidal, this is just how the emptiness affects me. Therefore, to have Budhe asked me that way really matter. It was the exact question I needed.
I hate crowds, and I would literally cross over the street to avoid small talks. In big groups, I tend to be the wallflower, blend with the background. My best bet in such big group would be to find my own niche, to meet people as interested in simple mundane things I find interesting. I have been lucky to find such niche most of the time, thankfully.
However, those questions still keep bugging me from time to time. It is normal, I guess? To have such questions. So long as I do something to find the answer?
This brings me back to my point earlier in this post, that in the very end social media is not about sharing anymore--it defines our existence. We are too busy living our own lives, and sure social media can help us connect. However, do we really? Sometimes I feel that only through social media we are seen truly exist, not in the verge of oblivion.
I would love to connect with people, but I prefer the old-fashioned, long talks over coffee way.
And I do not mind being unknown, I will just work my hardest to let my work introduce me.
((Posted after such long struggle with the internet, and during high fever))
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