Kebenaran akan suatu hal itu apa sih? Yang bener menurut kata orang, kata buku, kata hati, atau kata Tuhan..? Terus nyarinya gimana ya? Kok semakin dicari semakin susah.. Tuhan juga ga akan segitunya ngasih jawaban yang turun dari langit. Semua harus dicari..
Semakin gue punya banyak gambaran tentang sesuatu, semakin gue bingung. Kapan ya, mata hati gue bisa terbuka selebar-lebarnya untuk ngeliat hal-hal yang ga keliatan kasat mata. Gimana caranya? Caranya dengerin kata hati ketika kata hati bertolak belakang dengan kata orang. Caranya mencari kebenaran yang hakiki.
Ah.. rasanya gue pengen menghilang.. Menghilang.. sejenak.. dari semua yang ada. Mau mencari kebenaran akan kebingungan-kebingungan yang gue rasain. Mau mempertanyakan semuanya. Mau punya waktu buat autis untuk nyari semua ini.. Entah berapa lama. Meditasi mungkin. Huhu.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Just a glimpse of uncertainty in mind
Kenapa harus peduli banget apa kata orang? Ya, karena orang tinggal di sekeliling kita. Trus kalo tinggal di sekeliling kita kenapa? Ya, kita akan selalu berinteraksi dengan mereka. Merekalah komunitas kita. Lalu? Ya, kalo opini yang terjadi di publik membuat kehidupan sosialisasi terhambat, siapa yang mau. Jadi harus selalu tampil baik di depan orang? Hahaha. Sulit ya. Maunya sih gitu. Hampir semua orang mungkin berpikir begitu.. Kan membangun citra untuk diri sendiri.
Kapan abisnya dong? Yaa, ga tau ya. Kan beropini adalah hak asasi manusia. Apapun yang terjadi pasti akan selalu ada respon. Jadi harus selalu tampil sempurna? Wah, balik lagi ke sifat dasar saya yang menghindari konflik, yah, mungkin itu salah satu kekurangan terbesar dalam diri saya. Ih, kok ga punya pendirian sih? Hahaha. Entahlah, untuk sesuatu yang enggak bener-bener gue yakini, gue akan sangat mudah mendengarkan apa kata orang. Payah dong, ga bisa nentuin sikap? Itu yang masih gue latih sampe sekarang..
Emang lo nyaman ya ngejalanin kehidupan kayak begitu? Sejujurnya, enggak. Tapi kalo untuk hal-hal yang udah jelas salah kalo gue tetep lakuin, sangat wajar kok untuk mendengar masukan. Bercermin doong. Enggak, maksud gue, untuk sesuatu yang ga penting-penting banget. Tadinya gue sangat mikirin opini orang. Tapi ya gue ga mungkin sejalan terus sama apa kata orang. Gue juga punya keinginan. Dan selama itu ga ngerugiin orang lain.. Mungkin gue akan berusaha tutup kuping untuk sesuatu yang gue yakini bener menurut hati nurani gue.
Yakin lo?! Hehehe. Yah di yakin-yakinin aja. Walaupun yang lo lakuin bertentangan dengan paradigma orang-orang? Mmmm. Ya. Siap dengan opini-opini? Entahlah. Cape juga kalo semua omongan orang didengerin terus. Kalopun ternyata gue salah, ya pembelajaran lah. Image lo? Sekali jelek bakal susah ilang lho. Ah. Entahlah. Sampe saat ini gue masih sangat beranggapan image itu penting sih. Tapi image bukan segala-galanya kan. Kalo salah langkah? So what, it's life man, where's the fun if there's no roller coaster right? Everybody learns. Dan terus kalo gue salah? Ya gue yang nanggung. Yang lain, silahkan tetap beropini. Syukur2 kalo bisa bantu..
Kapan abisnya dong? Yaa, ga tau ya. Kan beropini adalah hak asasi manusia. Apapun yang terjadi pasti akan selalu ada respon. Jadi harus selalu tampil sempurna? Wah, balik lagi ke sifat dasar saya yang menghindari konflik, yah, mungkin itu salah satu kekurangan terbesar dalam diri saya. Ih, kok ga punya pendirian sih? Hahaha. Entahlah, untuk sesuatu yang enggak bener-bener gue yakini, gue akan sangat mudah mendengarkan apa kata orang. Payah dong, ga bisa nentuin sikap? Itu yang masih gue latih sampe sekarang..
Emang lo nyaman ya ngejalanin kehidupan kayak begitu? Sejujurnya, enggak. Tapi kalo untuk hal-hal yang udah jelas salah kalo gue tetep lakuin, sangat wajar kok untuk mendengar masukan. Bercermin doong. Enggak, maksud gue, untuk sesuatu yang ga penting-penting banget. Tadinya gue sangat mikirin opini orang. Tapi ya gue ga mungkin sejalan terus sama apa kata orang. Gue juga punya keinginan. Dan selama itu ga ngerugiin orang lain.. Mungkin gue akan berusaha tutup kuping untuk sesuatu yang gue yakini bener menurut hati nurani gue.
Yakin lo?! Hehehe. Yah di yakin-yakinin aja. Walaupun yang lo lakuin bertentangan dengan paradigma orang-orang? Mmmm. Ya. Siap dengan opini-opini? Entahlah. Cape juga kalo semua omongan orang didengerin terus. Kalopun ternyata gue salah, ya pembelajaran lah. Image lo? Sekali jelek bakal susah ilang lho. Ah. Entahlah. Sampe saat ini gue masih sangat beranggapan image itu penting sih. Tapi image bukan segala-galanya kan. Kalo salah langkah? So what, it's life man, where's the fun if there's no roller coaster right? Everybody learns. Dan terus kalo gue salah? Ya gue yang nanggung. Yang lain, silahkan tetap beropini. Syukur2 kalo bisa bantu..
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Finding myself
Wah, saya kembali menelantarkan blog lagi!! Huhu, memang bukan manusia yang konsisten : ( Yah, mo gimana lagi, ternyata waktu tidur yang udah minim (lagi-lagi) menjadi prioritas utama dalam pola hidup yang 2 bulan terakhir jadi hectic.
Jadi... Gue merasa menjalani hidup yang lamaaaaaaaa banget selama 2 bulan terakhir ini. Banyak hal yang terjadi, yah, yang pasti membuat hidup lebih bermakna. Banyak kejadian, kesibukan, macem-macem deh. Hmm.. Pengen banget share disini, sometime, someday, maybe.. Hehe..
Yah, jadi mungkin gue banyak mengambil beberapa keputusan penting dalam kehidupan perkuliahan gue. Kalo liat postingan2 gue sebelumnya tentang pertanyaan gue yang membuat gue "mandek" di dunia arsitektur. Yah.. Saya masihhh mencari jawabannya, seiring dengan perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan teman2 di sekitar saya. Jadi merasa ketinggalan banget. Uh. Kapan yah gue bisa ngejawab pertanyaan itu?
Ketika lo tau lo pengen jadi apa, tapi adrenalin untuk menuju ke situ kok semakin lama semakin berkurang.. berkurang.. dan yang paling sucks, lo ga tau kenapa bisa kayak gitu?! Dan gue jadi bingung.. Apa satu-satunya yang membuat gue masih (harus) bertahan adalah ketika otak gue memberi tahu gue harus jadi apa, dan ternyata hati gue mempertanyakannya kembali dengan memberi gejala-gejala yang gue sebutin diatas.
Haha mungkin tulisan ini cuma bentuk penyaluran kegelisahan gue kali yaa, bingung, kadang-kadang mungkin lebih enak ngoceh sendiri tanpa harus ditanggepin orang, dan mungkin media menulis udah media yang paling oke. Walaupun entah siapa yang baca. Yang penting merasa tersalurkan deh. Syukur2 ada yang bisa ngasih pencerahan.. : )
Yah, entahlah suatu solusi yang bijak atau bukan, tapi gue mencoba "mencari" jawaban atas pertanyaan gue dengan mencoba hal baru. Hmm. Dan pilihannya adalah dengan meningkatkan kembali soft skill gue, dimana, dengan tujuan utama adalah untuk melatih pola berpikir analisis gue dalam dunia arsitektur. Itu aja. Dan gue memilih masuk organisasi "besar" di kampus. Dengan banyak pertimbangan.
Pengen punya semangat "mempertanyakan" atas apa yang sedang terjadi, yang gue rasa minim banget gue ada di diri gue. Seperti ada yang pernah ngasih tau ke gue, "aku berpikir, maka aku ada".
Lalu... seiring berjalan waktu, gue mulai menikmati pencarian gue. Tapi jadi lupa sama tujuan awal dan mulai disibukkan dengan banyak agenda. Dan kembali inget setelah buka blog ini lagi. Hm. Apa pencariannya gagal? Belom sih. Belom banyak yang udah gue explore..
Dan mungkin gue juga disibukkan dengan "pencarian-pencarian" lain yang sedang gue cari. Apa emang sekarang ya masa-masa pencarian jati diri itu? Gue kayak orang bingung, banyak hal yang ga bisa gue sikapi dengan bijak. Banyak pertanyaan-pertanyaan di kepala gue yang ga bisa gue tanyain ke siapapun, harus gue cari sendiri. Kadang2 suka gelisah sendiri, tapi ga tau harus ngapain? Ya ampun...
Gue cuma berharap.. banget.. Gue bisa survive di masa-masa seperti ini. Gue serasa butuh orang lain untuk pegangan, tapi siapa? Mau tanya siapa? Apa iya orang lain udah punya tatanan ideal untuk pertanyaan2 gue? Apa iya, mereka sendiri udah survive melewati apa yang sedang gue lewatin? Ga ada yang tau kan..
Survive sekarang, atau enggak sama sekali.. Pilihannya cuma itu bukan?
Beruntunglah, orang-orang yang bisa cepet tau apa tujuannya dalam hidup ini. Ada yang baru tau jawabannya ketika masa tuanya, bahkan ada yang sampe mati ga tau tujuannya apa. Ada lagi, orang yang ga tau tujuannya apa, tapi sok tau. Dan yang paling parah, orang yang ga tau tujuannya apa dan ga berusaha mencari tau..
Gue masuk kelompok mana ya? Gue ga mau berlama-lama ada di posisi kayak gini.. Karena rasanya ga enak.. Banget..
Jadi... Gue merasa menjalani hidup yang lamaaaaaaaa banget selama 2 bulan terakhir ini. Banyak hal yang terjadi, yah, yang pasti membuat hidup lebih bermakna. Banyak kejadian, kesibukan, macem-macem deh. Hmm.. Pengen banget share disini, sometime, someday, maybe.. Hehe..
Yah, jadi mungkin gue banyak mengambil beberapa keputusan penting dalam kehidupan perkuliahan gue. Kalo liat postingan2 gue sebelumnya tentang pertanyaan gue yang membuat gue "mandek" di dunia arsitektur. Yah.. Saya masihhh mencari jawabannya, seiring dengan perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan teman2 di sekitar saya. Jadi merasa ketinggalan banget. Uh. Kapan yah gue bisa ngejawab pertanyaan itu?
Ketika lo tau lo pengen jadi apa, tapi adrenalin untuk menuju ke situ kok semakin lama semakin berkurang.. berkurang.. dan yang paling sucks, lo ga tau kenapa bisa kayak gitu?! Dan gue jadi bingung.. Apa satu-satunya yang membuat gue masih (harus) bertahan adalah ketika otak gue memberi tahu gue harus jadi apa, dan ternyata hati gue mempertanyakannya kembali dengan memberi gejala-gejala yang gue sebutin diatas.
Haha mungkin tulisan ini cuma bentuk penyaluran kegelisahan gue kali yaa, bingung, kadang-kadang mungkin lebih enak ngoceh sendiri tanpa harus ditanggepin orang, dan mungkin media menulis udah media yang paling oke. Walaupun entah siapa yang baca. Yang penting merasa tersalurkan deh. Syukur2 ada yang bisa ngasih pencerahan.. : )
Yah, entahlah suatu solusi yang bijak atau bukan, tapi gue mencoba "mencari" jawaban atas pertanyaan gue dengan mencoba hal baru. Hmm. Dan pilihannya adalah dengan meningkatkan kembali soft skill gue, dimana, dengan tujuan utama adalah untuk melatih pola berpikir analisis gue dalam dunia arsitektur. Itu aja. Dan gue memilih masuk organisasi "besar" di kampus. Dengan banyak pertimbangan.
Pengen punya semangat "mempertanyakan" atas apa yang sedang terjadi, yang gue rasa minim banget gue ada di diri gue. Seperti ada yang pernah ngasih tau ke gue, "aku berpikir, maka aku ada".
Lalu... seiring berjalan waktu, gue mulai menikmati pencarian gue. Tapi jadi lupa sama tujuan awal dan mulai disibukkan dengan banyak agenda. Dan kembali inget setelah buka blog ini lagi. Hm. Apa pencariannya gagal? Belom sih. Belom banyak yang udah gue explore..
Dan mungkin gue juga disibukkan dengan "pencarian-pencarian" lain yang sedang gue cari. Apa emang sekarang ya masa-masa pencarian jati diri itu? Gue kayak orang bingung, banyak hal yang ga bisa gue sikapi dengan bijak. Banyak pertanyaan-pertanyaan di kepala gue yang ga bisa gue tanyain ke siapapun, harus gue cari sendiri. Kadang2 suka gelisah sendiri, tapi ga tau harus ngapain? Ya ampun...
Gue cuma berharap.. banget.. Gue bisa survive di masa-masa seperti ini. Gue serasa butuh orang lain untuk pegangan, tapi siapa? Mau tanya siapa? Apa iya orang lain udah punya tatanan ideal untuk pertanyaan2 gue? Apa iya, mereka sendiri udah survive melewati apa yang sedang gue lewatin? Ga ada yang tau kan..
Survive sekarang, atau enggak sama sekali.. Pilihannya cuma itu bukan?
Beruntunglah, orang-orang yang bisa cepet tau apa tujuannya dalam hidup ini. Ada yang baru tau jawabannya ketika masa tuanya, bahkan ada yang sampe mati ga tau tujuannya apa. Ada lagi, orang yang ga tau tujuannya apa, tapi sok tau. Dan yang paling parah, orang yang ga tau tujuannya apa dan ga berusaha mencari tau..
Gue masuk kelompok mana ya? Gue ga mau berlama-lama ada di posisi kayak gini.. Karena rasanya ga enak.. Banget..
Friday, February 1, 2008
Be ourselves
Ada apa dengan menjadi diri sendiri, sampe setiap orang harus mengusung segala ke'aku'annya. Dengan segala kelebihan dan kekurangan, kok kayaknya bangga banget mengakui "aku", sedangkan untuk sesuatu yang (sebenernya) bisa di kompromi, selalu ber "aku" untuk sebuah pembelaan.
Enggak, bukan gue yang salah pilih, cuma gue yang gak mempertimbangkan sejauh itu. Anggep aja ini suatu surprise dalam hidup gue. Yang kata gue, gue sangat menunggu-nunggu surprise. Ternyata yang dateng surprise yang seperti ini...
Tapi saatnya gue menjadi manusiawi dengan bilang kalo gue cuma manusia biasa, kalo semua ini butuh pengorbanan dari kita berdua. Bukan cuma satu.
Enggak, bukan gue yang salah pilih, cuma gue yang gak mempertimbangkan sejauh itu. Anggep aja ini suatu surprise dalam hidup gue. Yang kata gue, gue sangat menunggu-nunggu surprise. Ternyata yang dateng surprise yang seperti ini...
Tapi saatnya gue menjadi manusiawi dengan bilang kalo gue cuma manusia biasa, kalo semua ini butuh pengorbanan dari kita berdua. Bukan cuma satu.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Rest in peace, does he?
It's been 2 days since our second president passed away, Pak Soeharto. Despite all the controversy against him, let us just pray for his peace as a human being for him. In fact, there are still civil citizens who still respects him, and a lot of them vice versa.
Yes, he did a lot of developmental projects here in Indonesia, and we were once in our glorious days. And most of the citizens prefer those days when we were lead by Soeharto. Less hunger, less poverty, and less unemployment. It's the same feeling of eating a food with a lot of MSG inside it. It's delicious, but it's deadly harmful to our body.
But less of them realized that what we're facing today is the scrap of Soeharto's leadership. He doesn't only left us with charisma and a view remarkable development fossils, but also broken infrastructure and debts which must be repay decades later. By our grand grand sons, maybe.
Ah.. banyak yang nyalahin mahasiswa karena era reformasi kemarin, karena kalo ga ada kejadian tragedi 1998, mungkin rakyat kecil masih bisa beli minyak goreng dan nyekolahin anak mereka di sekolah deket rumah.
Tapi semua itu semu.. Because anything based on greediness and deceitfulness wouldn't last long. Dan susah.. banget.. kalo kita mendambakan perubahan sedrastis 180 derajat dalam waktu singkat. Kalo kata Mama Lauren, bakal ada bencana di tahun 2012 yang bikin Jakarta kehilangan lebih dari setengah penduduknya, dan baru bisa membangun kembali negara yang baik dengan pakem yang baru. (apa iya? Naudzubillah min zalik)
Yaudahlah. Gue cuma bisa berkomentar dan sedikit bertindak. Paling enggak, dengan kapasitas gw sebagai mahasiswa. Tapi pengadilan Tuhan itu udah yang paling adil kok. We don't need to worry about it...
Pas banget sama novel Laskar Pelangi-nya Andrea Hirata yang lagi gue baca, sehari setelah meninggalnya Pak Soeharto gue sampe bab 9 - Penyakit Gila No. 5. Gue kutip sedikit..
...Suatu hari dalam budi pekerti kemuhammadiyahan, Bu Mus menjelaskan tentang karakter yang dituntut Islam dari seorang amir. Amir dapat berarti seorang pemimpin. Beliau menyitir perkataan Khalifah Umar bin Khatab.
"Barangsiapa yang kami tunjuk sebagai amir dan telah kami tetapkan gajinya untuk itu, maka apapun yang ia terima selain gajinya adalah penipuan!"
Rupanya Bu Mus geram dengan korupsi yang merajalela di negeri ini dan beliau menyambung dengan lantang,
"Kata-kata itu memegang arti penting memegang amanah sebagai pemimpin dan Al Quran mengingatkan bahwa kepemimpinan seseorang akan dipertanggungjawabkan nanti di akhirat ... "
Memegang amanah sebagai pemimpin memang berat, tapi jangan khawatir banyak orang yang akan mendoakan. Tidakkah ananda sering mendengar di berbagai upacara petugas sering mengucap doa: Ya Allah lindungilah para pemimpin kami? Jarang sekali kita mendengar doa: Ya Allah lindungilah anak-anak buah kami ... "
Yes, he did a lot of developmental projects here in Indonesia, and we were once in our glorious days. And most of the citizens prefer those days when we were lead by Soeharto. Less hunger, less poverty, and less unemployment. It's the same feeling of eating a food with a lot of MSG inside it. It's delicious, but it's deadly harmful to our body.
But less of them realized that what we're facing today is the scrap of Soeharto's leadership. He doesn't only left us with charisma and a view remarkable development fossils, but also broken infrastructure and debts which must be repay decades later. By our grand grand sons, maybe.
Ah.. banyak yang nyalahin mahasiswa karena era reformasi kemarin, karena kalo ga ada kejadian tragedi 1998, mungkin rakyat kecil masih bisa beli minyak goreng dan nyekolahin anak mereka di sekolah deket rumah.
Tapi semua itu semu.. Because anything based on greediness and deceitfulness wouldn't last long. Dan susah.. banget.. kalo kita mendambakan perubahan sedrastis 180 derajat dalam waktu singkat. Kalo kata Mama Lauren, bakal ada bencana di tahun 2012 yang bikin Jakarta kehilangan lebih dari setengah penduduknya, dan baru bisa membangun kembali negara yang baik dengan pakem yang baru. (apa iya? Naudzubillah min zalik)
Yaudahlah. Gue cuma bisa berkomentar dan sedikit bertindak. Paling enggak, dengan kapasitas gw sebagai mahasiswa. Tapi pengadilan Tuhan itu udah yang paling adil kok. We don't need to worry about it...
Pas banget sama novel Laskar Pelangi-nya Andrea Hirata yang lagi gue baca, sehari setelah meninggalnya Pak Soeharto gue sampe bab 9 - Penyakit Gila No. 5. Gue kutip sedikit..
...Suatu hari dalam budi pekerti kemuhammadiyahan, Bu Mus menjelaskan tentang karakter yang dituntut Islam dari seorang amir. Amir dapat berarti seorang pemimpin. Beliau menyitir perkataan Khalifah Umar bin Khatab.
"Barangsiapa yang kami tunjuk sebagai amir dan telah kami tetapkan gajinya untuk itu, maka apapun yang ia terima selain gajinya adalah penipuan!"
Rupanya Bu Mus geram dengan korupsi yang merajalela di negeri ini dan beliau menyambung dengan lantang,
"Kata-kata itu memegang arti penting memegang amanah sebagai pemimpin dan Al Quran mengingatkan bahwa kepemimpinan seseorang akan dipertanggungjawabkan nanti di akhirat ... "
Memegang amanah sebagai pemimpin memang berat, tapi jangan khawatir banyak orang yang akan mendoakan. Tidakkah ananda sering mendengar di berbagai upacara petugas sering mengucap doa: Ya Allah lindungilah para pemimpin kami? Jarang sekali kita mendengar doa: Ya Allah lindungilah anak-anak buah kami ... "
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sandwiched
Astaghfirullah al aziim.
Hehee, gue baru melakukan terobosan baru lagi dalam hidup guee, yaitu: mengendarai motor sendirian di jalan raya. Well, it's the second time, dan masih kerasa sensasi deg-deg an nya. Dan yang kedua ini cukup berkesan.
Jadi alesannya adalah; mau minjem spidol prisma color ke rumahnya Izza, deket sih, sekitar 6 km dari rumah. Butuh buru-buru. Orang-orang rumah lagi pada pergi, dan demi niat baik ngerjain tugas Tata Ruang Dalam yang ternyata masih tersisa (damn, padahal gw udah ingin lepas dari tugas), jadilah gw ke rumah Izza sendirian.
Waktu pergi, masih owkay, yah sedikit grogi juga sih. Mungkin gw bermental pengendara mobil? Gw selalu tepat berada di belakang mobil, unlike the usual of motorcycle driver - selalu mengagetkan ada di kanan jalan atau bahkan mendahului dari kiri?! Ckckck. Sebagai pemula, sangat ingin menerapkan tatakrama dalam mengemudi, secara gw benci banget sama pengemudi motor yg semena-mena. Hehe.
Selain gw juga ga punya SIM, yaa mau apalagi selain berjalan mengendap-ngendap.
Perjalanan pergi, no problemo. Pas pulang, gue bertemu macet. Di depan gue adalah barisan mobil-mobil sekitar 15 m dengan pangkal kemacetan di perapatan Perum. Berenti dong gue.. Tepat di depan gue adalah angkot yang agak kosong dan becak yang lagi ngendog (baca: ngetem). Ragu antara si angkot ngendog juga ato engga, mulai dateng bisikan-bisikan ke hati, "nyelip aja kali ya? Jangan2 angkot ini lagi ngetem?", begitulah kira-kira dilema waktu itu.
Dan berbekalkan prinsip bahwa dalam hidup harus percaya diri, jadi diteroboslah becak dan angkot yang berjarak kurang lebih 60 cm itu. Pelan-pelan. Tapi ternyata ga muat! Bwahahaha. Terdengar bunyi gesekan antara motor gw dan angkot itu, spontan supirnya berkata dengan volume (se)maksimal (mungkin).
"KALO GA MUAT JANGAN MAKSA DONG!", he shouted.
Ooo mai gaad. Gimana ieuh? Kumaha? Wong bener-bener kegencet. Dibentak pula. Ciut deh. Trus tukang becak dengan sigap berusaha memindahkan becaknya yang sedang dalam posisi horisontal - jadi agak susah dibelokin, harus diangkat dikit. Ada kali sekitar 30 detik gw berusaha lepas dari dua benda nyolot itu. Spontan waktu bisa jalan, gw bilang "makasih ya Mang!", trus ngacir. Yaiyalah, gue yg salah. Mana banyak yg ngeliatin. Bengeut ditaro dimana ieuh?? HUhuHuhU.
Alhamdulillah yang kena cuma stangnya doang, tapi pas sampe rumah gw ga berani liat motornya (atau lupa tepatnya?), jadi gw belom tau keadaan motor gue. Huhuhu. Jangan ditiru ya yg seperti ini. Tapi kayaknya sopir angkotnya tak enak ma gue, soalnya pas abis tereak gitu ga ada sumpah serapah yang kedengeran. Mungkin karna gw cewe kali yaa. Ga tau deh.
Maap yaa abang angkot dan becak. Makanya abang angkot jangan suka bikin kesel di jalan raya, jadi gw (sebagai mediasi karma mungkin) membuat abang angkot kesel akhirnya. Hehehe.
Moral of the day:
- Never, drive without license.
- Never, ever, ever, drive a motorcycle without good intention (terbukti yang berniat mulia aja masih kena cobaan, gimana yg make buat ngetrek?? Astaghfirullah.)
- Self confidence harus diikuti pengetahuan yang kuat, yakni: Semua anak arsitek juga tau kalo 60 cm itu adalah ukuran ideal untuk sirkulasi manusia. Dan ini 60 cm untuk motor?!? Whatde? Harusnya sebelum jalan gue baca buku Human Dimension dulu kali ya. Hehehehe.
Cheers!
Hehee, gue baru melakukan terobosan baru lagi dalam hidup guee, yaitu: mengendarai motor sendirian di jalan raya. Well, it's the second time, dan masih kerasa sensasi deg-deg an nya. Dan yang kedua ini cukup berkesan.
Jadi alesannya adalah; mau minjem spidol prisma color ke rumahnya Izza, deket sih, sekitar 6 km dari rumah. Butuh buru-buru. Orang-orang rumah lagi pada pergi, dan demi niat baik ngerjain tugas Tata Ruang Dalam yang ternyata masih tersisa (damn, padahal gw udah ingin lepas dari tugas), jadilah gw ke rumah Izza sendirian.
Waktu pergi, masih owkay, yah sedikit grogi juga sih. Mungkin gw bermental pengendara mobil? Gw selalu tepat berada di belakang mobil, unlike the usual of motorcycle driver - selalu mengagetkan ada di kanan jalan atau bahkan mendahului dari kiri?! Ckckck. Sebagai pemula, sangat ingin menerapkan tatakrama dalam mengemudi, secara gw benci banget sama pengemudi motor yg semena-mena. Hehe.
Selain gw juga ga punya SIM, yaa mau apalagi selain berjalan mengendap-ngendap.
Perjalanan pergi, no problemo. Pas pulang, gue bertemu macet. Di depan gue adalah barisan mobil-mobil sekitar 15 m dengan pangkal kemacetan di perapatan Perum. Berenti dong gue.. Tepat di depan gue adalah angkot yang agak kosong dan becak yang lagi ngendog (baca: ngetem). Ragu antara si angkot ngendog juga ato engga, mulai dateng bisikan-bisikan ke hati, "nyelip aja kali ya? Jangan2 angkot ini lagi ngetem?", begitulah kira-kira dilema waktu itu.
Dan berbekalkan prinsip bahwa dalam hidup harus percaya diri, jadi diteroboslah becak dan angkot yang berjarak kurang lebih 60 cm itu. Pelan-pelan. Tapi ternyata ga muat! Bwahahaha. Terdengar bunyi gesekan antara motor gw dan angkot itu, spontan supirnya berkata dengan volume (se)maksimal (mungkin).
"KALO GA MUAT JANGAN MAKSA DONG!", he shouted.
Ooo mai gaad. Gimana ieuh? Kumaha? Wong bener-bener kegencet. Dibentak pula. Ciut deh. Trus tukang becak dengan sigap berusaha memindahkan becaknya yang sedang dalam posisi horisontal - jadi agak susah dibelokin, harus diangkat dikit. Ada kali sekitar 30 detik gw berusaha lepas dari dua benda nyolot itu. Spontan waktu bisa jalan, gw bilang "makasih ya Mang!", trus ngacir. Yaiyalah, gue yg salah. Mana banyak yg ngeliatin. Bengeut ditaro dimana ieuh?? HUhuHuhU.
Alhamdulillah yang kena cuma stangnya doang, tapi pas sampe rumah gw ga berani liat motornya (atau lupa tepatnya?), jadi gw belom tau keadaan motor gue. Huhuhu. Jangan ditiru ya yg seperti ini. Tapi kayaknya sopir angkotnya tak enak ma gue, soalnya pas abis tereak gitu ga ada sumpah serapah yang kedengeran. Mungkin karna gw cewe kali yaa. Ga tau deh.
Maap yaa abang angkot dan becak. Makanya abang angkot jangan suka bikin kesel di jalan raya, jadi gw (sebagai mediasi karma mungkin) membuat abang angkot kesel akhirnya. Hehehe.
Moral of the day:
- Never, drive without license.
- Never, ever, ever, drive a motorcycle without good intention (terbukti yang berniat mulia aja masih kena cobaan, gimana yg make buat ngetrek?? Astaghfirullah.)
- Self confidence harus diikuti pengetahuan yang kuat, yakni: Semua anak arsitek juga tau kalo 60 cm itu adalah ukuran ideal untuk sirkulasi manusia. Dan ini 60 cm untuk motor?!? Whatde? Harusnya sebelum jalan gue baca buku Human Dimension dulu kali ya. Hehehehe.
Cheers!
Jakarta - what are WE doing to you?
Jakarta (Jaya Karta - Prosperous, Glorious City) Capital City of Indonesia, what are we doing to you??
JAKARTA , INDONESIA — A SINKING GIANT?
by Andre Vltchek
Today, high-rises dot the skyline, hundreds of thousands of vehicles belch fumes on congested traffic arteries and super-malls have become the cultural centers of gravity in Jakarta, the fourth largest city in the world. In between towering super-structures, humble kampongs house the majority of the city dwellers, who often have no access to basic sanitation, running water or waste management.
While almost all major capitals in the Southeast Asian region are investing heavily in public transportation, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks and cultural institutions like museums, concert halls and convention centers, Jakarta remains brutally and determinately 'pro-market' — profit-driven and openly indifferent to the plight of a majority of its citizens who are poor.
Most Jakartans have never left Indonesia, so they cannot compare their capital with Kuala Lumpur or Singapore; with Hanoi or Bangkok. Comparative statistics and reports hardly make it into the local media. Despite the fact that the Indonesian capital is for many foreign visitors a 'hell on earth,' the local media describes Jakarta as "modern," "cosmopolitan, " and "a sprawling metropolis."
Newcomers are often puzzled by Jakarta's lack of public amenities. Bangkok, not exactly known as a user-friendly city, still has several beautiful parks. Even cash-strapped Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, boasts wide promenades, playgrounds, long stretches of beach and sea walks. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur compete with each other in building wide sidewalks, green areas as well as cultural establishments. Manila, another city without a glowing reputation for its public amenities, has succeeded in constructing an impressive sea promenade dotted with countless cafes and entertainment venues while preserving its World Heritage Site at Intramuros. Hanoi repaved its wide sidewalks and turned a park around Huan-Kiem Lake into an open-air sculpture museum.
But in Jakarta, there is a fee for everything. Many green spaces have been converted to golf courses for the exclusive use of the rich. The approximately one square kilometer of Monas seems to be the only real public area in a city of more than 10 million. Despite being a maritime city, Jakarta has been separated from the sea, with the only focal point being Ancol, with a tiny, mostly decrepit walkway along the dirty beach dotted with private businesses.
Even to take a walk in Ancol, a family of four has to spend approximately $4.50 (40,000 Indonesian Rupiahs) in entrance fees, something unthinkable anywhere else in the world. The few tiny public parks which survived privatization are in desperate condition and mostly unsafe to use.
There are no sidewalks in the entire city, if one applies international standards to the word "sidewalk." Almost anywhere in the world (with the striking exception of some cities in the United States, like Houston and Los Angeles) the cities themselves belong to pedestrians. Cars are increasingly discouraged from traveling in the city centers. Wide sidewalks are understood to be the most ecological, healthy and efficient forms of short-distance public transportation in
areas with high concentrations of people.
In Jakarta, there are hardly any benches for people to sit and relax, and no free drinking water fountains or public toilets. It is these small, but important, 'details' that are symbols of urban life
anywhere else in the world.
Most world cities, including those in the region, want to be visited and remembered for their culture. Singapore is managing to change its 'shop-till-you- drop' image to that of the center of
Southeast Asian arts. The monumental Esplanade Theatre has reshaped the skyline, offering first-rate international concerts in classical music, opera, ballet, and also featuring performances from some of the leading contemporary artists from the region. Many performances are subsidized and are either free or cheap, relative to the high incomes in the city-state.
Kuala Lumpur spent $100 million on its philharmonic concert hall, which is located right under the Petronas Towers, among the tallest buildings in the world. This impressive and prestigious
concert hall hosts local orchestra companies as well top international performers. The city is currently spending further millions to refurbish its museums and galleries, from the National Museum to the National Art Gallery. Hanoi is proud of its culture and arts, which are promoted as its major attraction — millions of visitors flock into the city to visit countless galleries stocked with canvases, which can be easily described as some of the best in Southeast Asia. Its beautifully restored Opera House regularly offers Western and Asian music treats.
Bangkok's colossal temples and palaces coexist with extremely cosmopolitan fare — international theater and film festivals, countless performances, jazz clubs with local and foreign artists on
the bill, as well as authentic culinary delights from all corners of the world. When it comes to music, live performances and nightlife, there is no city in Southeast Asia as vibrant as Manila.
Now back to Jakarta. Those who have ever visited the city's 'public libraries' or National Archives building will know the difference. No wonder; in Indonesia education, culture and arts are not considered to be 'profitable' (with the exception of pop music), and are therefore made absolutely irrelevant. The country spends the third lowest amount in the world on education (according to The Economist, only1.2 percent of its GDP) after Equatorial Guinea and Ecuador (there the situation is now rapidly improving with the new progressive government).
Museums in Jakarta are in appalling condition, offering absolutely no important international exhibitions. They look like they fell on the city from a different era and no wonder — the Dutch built almost all of them. Not only are their collections poorly kept, but they lack elements of modernity — there are no elegant cafes, museum shops, bookstores or even public archives. It appears that the individuals running them are without vision and creativity. However, even if they did have inspired ideas, there would be no funding to carry them out.
It seems that Jakarta has no city planners, only private developers that have no respect for the majority of its inhabitants who are poor (the great majority, no matter what the understated and
manipulated government statistics say). The city abandoned itself to the private sector, which now controls almost everything, from residential housing to what were once public areas.
While Singapore decades ago, and Kuala Lumpur recently, managed to fully eradicate poor, unsanitary and depressing kampongs from their urban areas, Jakarta is unable or unwilling to offer its citizens subsidized, affordable housing equipped with running water, electricity, a sewage system, wastewater treatment facilities, playgrounds, parks, sidewalks and a mass public transportation system.
Rich Singapore aside, Kuala Lumpur with only 2 million inhabitants boasts one metro line (Putra Line), one monorail, several efficient Star LRT lines, suburban train links and high-speed rail
system connecting the city with its new capital Putrajaya. The "Rapid" system counts on hundreds of modern, clean and air-conditioned buses. Transit is subsidized; a bus ticket on "Rapid" costs only $.60 (2 Malaysian Ringgits) for unlimited day use on the same line. Heavily
discounted daily and monthly passes are also available.
Bangkok contracted German firm Siemens to build two long "Sky Train" lines and one metro line. It is also utilizing its river and channels as both public transportation and as a tourist attraction. Despite this enormous progress, the Bangkok city administration claims that it is building an additional 50 miles (80 kilometers) of tracks for these systems in order to convince citizens to leave their cars at home and use public transportation. Polluting pre-historic buses are being banned from Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and gradually from Bangkok. Jakarta, thanks to corruption and phlegmatic officials, is in its own league even in this field.
Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in its reports covering quality of life, places Jakarta repeatedly on the level of poor African and South Asian cities, below metropolises like Nairobi and Medellin.
Considering that it is in the league with some of the poorest capitals of the world, Jakarta is not cheap. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2006 Survey, Jakarta ranked as the 48th most expensive city in the world for expatriate employees, well above Berlin (72nd), Melbourne (74th) and Washington D.C. (83rd). And if it is expensive for expatriates, how is it for local people with a GDP per capita below $1,000?
Curiously, Jakartans are silent. They have become inured to appalling air quality just as they have gotten used to the sight of children begging, even selling themselves at the major intersections; to entire communities living under elevated highways and in slums on the shores of canals turned into toxic waste dumps; to the hours-long commutes; to floods and rats.
But if there is to be any hope, the truth has to eventually be told, and the sooner the better. Only a realistic and brutal diagnosis can lead to treatment and a cure. As painful as the truth can be, it
is always better than self-deceptions and lies. Jakarta has fallen decades behind capitals in the neighboring countries — in esthetics, housing, urban planning, standard of living, quality of life, health, education, culture, transportation, food quality and hygiene. It has to swallow its pride and learn from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Brisbane and even in some instances from its poorer
neighbors like Port Moresby, Manila and Hanoi.
Comparative statistics have to be transparent and widely available. Citizens have to learn how to ask questions again, and how to demand answers and accountability. Only if they understand to what depths their city has sunk can there be any hope of change. "We have to watch out," said a concerned Malaysian filmmaker during New Year's Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia suddenly has too many problems. If we are not careful, Kuala Lumpur could end up in 20 or 30 years like Jakarta!"
Could this statement be reversed? Can Jakarta find the strength and solidarity to mobilize in time catch up with Kuala Lumpur? Can decency overcome greed? Can corruption be eradicated and replaced by creativity? Can private villas shrink in size and green spaces, public housing, playgrounds, libraries, schools and hospitals expand?
An outsider like me can observe, tell the story and ask questions. Only the people of Jakarta can offer the answers and solutions.
JAKARTA , INDONESIA — A SINKING GIANT?
by Andre Vltchek
Today, high-rises dot the skyline, hundreds of thousands of vehicles belch fumes on congested traffic arteries and super-malls have become the cultural centers of gravity in Jakarta, the fourth largest city in the world. In between towering super-structures, humble kampongs house the majority of the city dwellers, who often have no access to basic sanitation, running water or waste management.
While almost all major capitals in the Southeast Asian region are investing heavily in public transportation, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks and cultural institutions like museums, concert halls and convention centers, Jakarta remains brutally and determinately 'pro-market' — profit-driven and openly indifferent to the plight of a majority of its citizens who are poor.
Most Jakartans have never left Indonesia, so they cannot compare their capital with Kuala Lumpur or Singapore; with Hanoi or Bangkok. Comparative statistics and reports hardly make it into the local media. Despite the fact that the Indonesian capital is for many foreign visitors a 'hell on earth,' the local media describes Jakarta as "modern," "cosmopolitan, " and "a sprawling metropolis."
Newcomers are often puzzled by Jakarta's lack of public amenities. Bangkok, not exactly known as a user-friendly city, still has several beautiful parks. Even cash-strapped Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, boasts wide promenades, playgrounds, long stretches of beach and sea walks. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur compete with each other in building wide sidewalks, green areas as well as cultural establishments. Manila, another city without a glowing reputation for its public amenities, has succeeded in constructing an impressive sea promenade dotted with countless cafes and entertainment venues while preserving its World Heritage Site at Intramuros. Hanoi repaved its wide sidewalks and turned a park around Huan-Kiem Lake into an open-air sculpture museum.
But in Jakarta, there is a fee for everything. Many green spaces have been converted to golf courses for the exclusive use of the rich. The approximately one square kilometer of Monas seems to be the only real public area in a city of more than 10 million. Despite being a maritime city, Jakarta has been separated from the sea, with the only focal point being Ancol, with a tiny, mostly decrepit walkway along the dirty beach dotted with private businesses.
Even to take a walk in Ancol, a family of four has to spend approximately $4.50 (40,000 Indonesian Rupiahs) in entrance fees, something unthinkable anywhere else in the world. The few tiny public parks which survived privatization are in desperate condition and mostly unsafe to use.
There are no sidewalks in the entire city, if one applies international standards to the word "sidewalk." Almost anywhere in the world (with the striking exception of some cities in the United States, like Houston and Los Angeles) the cities themselves belong to pedestrians. Cars are increasingly discouraged from traveling in the city centers. Wide sidewalks are understood to be the most ecological, healthy and efficient forms of short-distance public transportation in
areas with high concentrations of people.
In Jakarta, there are hardly any benches for people to sit and relax, and no free drinking water fountains or public toilets. It is these small, but important, 'details' that are symbols of urban life
anywhere else in the world.
Most world cities, including those in the region, want to be visited and remembered for their culture. Singapore is managing to change its 'shop-till-you- drop' image to that of the center of
Southeast Asian arts. The monumental Esplanade Theatre has reshaped the skyline, offering first-rate international concerts in classical music, opera, ballet, and also featuring performances from some of the leading contemporary artists from the region. Many performances are subsidized and are either free or cheap, relative to the high incomes in the city-state.
Kuala Lumpur spent $100 million on its philharmonic concert hall, which is located right under the Petronas Towers, among the tallest buildings in the world. This impressive and prestigious
concert hall hosts local orchestra companies as well top international performers. The city is currently spending further millions to refurbish its museums and galleries, from the National Museum to the National Art Gallery. Hanoi is proud of its culture and arts, which are promoted as its major attraction — millions of visitors flock into the city to visit countless galleries stocked with canvases, which can be easily described as some of the best in Southeast Asia. Its beautifully restored Opera House regularly offers Western and Asian music treats.
Bangkok's colossal temples and palaces coexist with extremely cosmopolitan fare — international theater and film festivals, countless performances, jazz clubs with local and foreign artists on
the bill, as well as authentic culinary delights from all corners of the world. When it comes to music, live performances and nightlife, there is no city in Southeast Asia as vibrant as Manila.
Now back to Jakarta. Those who have ever visited the city's 'public libraries' or National Archives building will know the difference. No wonder; in Indonesia education, culture and arts are not considered to be 'profitable' (with the exception of pop music), and are therefore made absolutely irrelevant. The country spends the third lowest amount in the world on education (according to The Economist, only1.2 percent of its GDP) after Equatorial Guinea and Ecuador (there the situation is now rapidly improving with the new progressive government).
Museums in Jakarta are in appalling condition, offering absolutely no important international exhibitions. They look like they fell on the city from a different era and no wonder — the Dutch built almost all of them. Not only are their collections poorly kept, but they lack elements of modernity — there are no elegant cafes, museum shops, bookstores or even public archives. It appears that the individuals running them are without vision and creativity. However, even if they did have inspired ideas, there would be no funding to carry them out.
It seems that Jakarta has no city planners, only private developers that have no respect for the majority of its inhabitants who are poor (the great majority, no matter what the understated and
manipulated government statistics say). The city abandoned itself to the private sector, which now controls almost everything, from residential housing to what were once public areas.
While Singapore decades ago, and Kuala Lumpur recently, managed to fully eradicate poor, unsanitary and depressing kampongs from their urban areas, Jakarta is unable or unwilling to offer its citizens subsidized, affordable housing equipped with running water, electricity, a sewage system, wastewater treatment facilities, playgrounds, parks, sidewalks and a mass public transportation system.
Rich Singapore aside, Kuala Lumpur with only 2 million inhabitants boasts one metro line (Putra Line), one monorail, several efficient Star LRT lines, suburban train links and high-speed rail
system connecting the city with its new capital Putrajaya. The "Rapid" system counts on hundreds of modern, clean and air-conditioned buses. Transit is subsidized; a bus ticket on "Rapid" costs only $.60 (2 Malaysian Ringgits) for unlimited day use on the same line. Heavily
discounted daily and monthly passes are also available.
Bangkok contracted German firm Siemens to build two long "Sky Train" lines and one metro line. It is also utilizing its river and channels as both public transportation and as a tourist attraction. Despite this enormous progress, the Bangkok city administration claims that it is building an additional 50 miles (80 kilometers) of tracks for these systems in order to convince citizens to leave their cars at home and use public transportation. Polluting pre-historic buses are being banned from Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and gradually from Bangkok. Jakarta, thanks to corruption and phlegmatic officials, is in its own league even in this field.
Mercer Human Resource Consulting, in its reports covering quality of life, places Jakarta repeatedly on the level of poor African and South Asian cities, below metropolises like Nairobi and Medellin.
Considering that it is in the league with some of the poorest capitals of the world, Jakarta is not cheap. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2006 Survey, Jakarta ranked as the 48th most expensive city in the world for expatriate employees, well above Berlin (72nd), Melbourne (74th) and Washington D.C. (83rd). And if it is expensive for expatriates, how is it for local people with a GDP per capita below $1,000?
Curiously, Jakartans are silent. They have become inured to appalling air quality just as they have gotten used to the sight of children begging, even selling themselves at the major intersections; to entire communities living under elevated highways and in slums on the shores of canals turned into toxic waste dumps; to the hours-long commutes; to floods and rats.
But if there is to be any hope, the truth has to eventually be told, and the sooner the better. Only a realistic and brutal diagnosis can lead to treatment and a cure. As painful as the truth can be, it
is always better than self-deceptions and lies. Jakarta has fallen decades behind capitals in the neighboring countries — in esthetics, housing, urban planning, standard of living, quality of life, health, education, culture, transportation, food quality and hygiene. It has to swallow its pride and learn from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Brisbane and even in some instances from its poorer
neighbors like Port Moresby, Manila and Hanoi.
Comparative statistics have to be transparent and widely available. Citizens have to learn how to ask questions again, and how to demand answers and accountability. Only if they understand to what depths their city has sunk can there be any hope of change. "We have to watch out," said a concerned Malaysian filmmaker during New Year's Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia suddenly has too many problems. If we are not careful, Kuala Lumpur could end up in 20 or 30 years like Jakarta!"
Could this statement be reversed? Can Jakarta find the strength and solidarity to mobilize in time catch up with Kuala Lumpur? Can decency overcome greed? Can corruption be eradicated and replaced by creativity? Can private villas shrink in size and green spaces, public housing, playgrounds, libraries, schools and hospitals expand?
An outsider like me can observe, tell the story and ask questions. Only the people of Jakarta can offer the answers and solutions.
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