One hour before the debate
“How is it?”
“Everything is ready sir”
“Good”
Mr. J smiled at himself. He felt satisfied, tonight is the night, he thought. He was ready for the debate, he was ready to beat his rival. Mr. J imagined himself as the president of the super power country. He would do anything to achieve his dream.
“Sir,”
“Yes, Maxwell”
“I should go now, I’m sure Mr. B is looking for me”
“Go,” said Mr. J.
“Where is Maxwell?”
“Don’t worry sir, he is not here”
“What do you want?” Mr. B asked, looked anxious.
“If they know you’re here, our plan will be in danger,” said Mr. B.
“I am sorry sir, I just want to make sure you know what to do”
“Don’t insult me, I know what to do, now get out of my room before Maxwell come,” said Mr. B.
“Yes sir,” said Damien Bancroft.
One hour after the debate
Maxwell Smith was listening to Mr. B story, but his mind wasn’t there. He was thinking of what he had to do after they arrived at the hotel. They were on the journey to the hotel where Mr. B and his success team stayed in. As Mr. B’s personal assistant, Maxwell was always beside him. He knew all about Mr. B, what he liked, what he disliked. Mr. B trusted him.
Room 302
“It’s a very long day isn’t it Maxwell?” said Mr. B while he sat on the sofa. They were on the hotel room. It was the first class, a very large room with its mini bar. He took of his shoes and relaxed on the sofa. He looked tired. He took the remote and turn on the TV.
“May I get you something to drink sir?” Maxwell asked.
“Yes, please”
Maxwell walked to the mini bar, he took a glass and poured it with water. Then he took something from his blazer. It was a small bottle. He opened the bottle and poured the liquid in the bottle into the water. He waited for a moment until the strange liquid mix with the water.
“You know what Maxwell”
“What sir?” said Maxwell who was standing behind Mr. B
“You can’t trust anybody in this world”
“Is that so, sir?”
“Yes it is”
Maxwell brought the glass in his hand, and then he gave it to Mr. B.
“Thank you” said Mr. B.
Like a thirsty deer, Mr. B drank the water until the glass was empty. Maxwell smiled, his mission was completed. Suddenly, Mr. B touched his neck, he felt something wrong with his neck. He felt like his neck was burning. He asked for help but nothing came out from his mouth. He was in pain, but Maxwell Smith didn’t help him. Then, he stopped breathing.
Room 402
“Sir, there’s a phone call for you”
“Thank you, Damien” said Mr. J to his personal assistant.
Damien Bancroft gave the phone to Mr. J. While Mr. J was talking on the phone, Damien was preparing a drink for Mr. J. It was a cold night, so Damien poured a bottle of wine to a glass. He looked around, he saw nobody, and then he took a small bottle from his pocket. He dropped the liquid into the wine. Having finished talking on the phone, Mr. J sat on the sofa. He took the Times magazine and read it. He was happy because he just heard good news from Maxwell Smith.
“Here sir, this wine could warm you up,” said Damien while he gave a glass of wine to Mr. J.
“Thank you, Damien”
Damien stood beside the sofa, he waited for the reaction of the poison. Nothing happened in the first minute, but the next minute Mr. J felt something. He felt his stomach was burning. He felt like he wanted to throw up. And all of sudden, he throw up, it was blood which came out from his mouth. He couldn’t stop throwing up. He couldn’t ask for help. He stopped throwing up when he stop breathing. Damien watched him died. When he was sure that Mr. J was dead, Damien made a phone call. He called Mr. B to inform the good news. But…, no one answer it.
Kamis, 18 Desember 2008
Kamis, 16 Oktober 2008
Sinetron…Oh…Sinetron
Buat orang Indonesia, sinetron pasti sudah bukan barang baru lagi. Sinetron sudah jadi makanan sehari-hari. Pagi, siang, sore, malam, sinetron selalu muncul dimana-mana. Tiap kali menyalakan tv, pasti ada sinetron yang sedang ditayangkan. Muak!!! Itulah yang aku rasain tiap kali menyalakan tv. Pengennya dapat hiburan eh malah dapat kesesatan.
Yap rasanya ngga berlebihan kalau aku bilang sinetron itu menyesatkan. Dari jaman SD sampai S1 ramuan sinetron tetap ngga berubah. Si kaya versus si miskin, perebutan harta warisan, anak hilang, hamil diluar nikah, anak yang tertukar, benci jadi cinta, gadis kaya yang sombong. Pokoknya monoton deh…Ngga kreatif…Entah karena ngga ada ide atau karena menuruti selera pasar. Tapi masak iya orang Indonesia ngga bosen sama yang namanya sinetron yang ceritanya selalu sama dengan pemain yang berbeda bahkan kadang pemainnya pun sama.
Kadang-kadang malah satu orang bisa muncul di dua sinetron yang ditayangkan dalam waktu bersamaan di dua stasiun tv yang berbeda. Parahnya lagi karakter yang dimainkan pun sama. Nah ngomong soal karakter, ada beberapa karakter yang selalu muncul dalam sinetron Indonesia, yaitu: gadis miskin yang baik hati (belakangan ketahuan kalau dia sebenarnya anak orang kaya), gadis kaya yang sombong (belakangan diceritakan kalau dia anak orang miskin), pemuda kaya yang naksir gadis miskin, pemuda baik hati yang naksir tokoh utama, gadis licik yang rela melakukan segala cara demi mendapat sang pujaan hati, ibu baik hati yang sayang keluarga, tante or bude judes yang menentang hubungan tokoh utama, ibu sadis yang ngotot nikahin anaknya sama orang kaya, bapak baik hati yang sayang anak, bapak jahat yang tega jual anaknya, bapak-bapak atau mas-mas berdasi yang ngga jelas kerjanya apa (yang penting pake dasi :P), pembantu rumah tangga yang baik hati suka nolongin majikan, pembantu jahat yang suka ikut-ikutan njahilin tokoh utama, dokter yang bisa diajak berkomplot buat rencana jahat, tokoh utama yang begonya minta ampun karena mau disiksa lahir dan batin (bukannya nglawan malah tetep mbantuin si penyiksa, emang ada orang sebodoh itu?). Wah kalau mau ditulis daftarnya, bisa panjang banget…
Kalau sinetronnya buat remaja ngga jauh beda karakternya biasanya tokoh utama kalau cewek ceroboh trus ngga cantik tapi naksir cowok cakep bin pintar (agak terpengaruh komik Jepang gitu d :P) Kalau tokoh utamanya cowok ngga jauh beda kok, cowok cupu naksir cewek popular. Pokoknya karakter-karakter di sinetron Indonesia itu hitam putih banget. Yang baik ya baik, yang jahat ya jahat banget. Padahal kan ngga ada orang yang bener-bener baik. Udah gitu perbedaan yang ditampilin selalu mencolok yang satu mobilnya BMW seri terbaru yang satu tinggal di gubuk reot. Sengaja dibikin kayak gitu buat menggali konflik yang nantinya bakal jadi jalinan cerita sinetron itu. Padahal ngga perlu nunjukin perbedaan semencolok itu untuk menggali konflik. Kalau jeli dan kreatif perbedaan kecil antar dua karakter pun bisa diolah menjadi konflik (bukannya sok tahu tapi berdasarkan kehidupan nyata aku sering lihat kok perbedaan kecil bisa jadi konflik besar, bahkan pernah mengalaminya sendiri :P).
Selain karakter yang seragam, cerita sinetron juga ngga jauh dari pakem Cinderella story yang berakhir bahagia. Emang sih semua orang mengharapkan akhir yang bahagia tapi ngga ada salahnya juga bikin akhir yang ngga bahagia. Tapi kayaknya kreator belum pede atau belum berani bikin ending yang beda. Kadang malah endingnya ngga masuk akal. Hanya karena sinetron ngga laku terus kreator buru-buru mengakhirinya tanpa peduli jalan cerita sebelumnya. Cerita langsung disederhanakan dengan mengabaikan logika. Kacau deh endingnya…
Bukannya meremehkan atau gimana tapi sinetron Indonesia itu memang tidak dibuat dengan sungguh-sungguh. Bukan cuma logika yang diabaikan, setting, kostum dan perlengkapan pendukung pun ngga diperhatikan. Apa ngga ada riset ya sebelum bikin sinetron? Masak karakternya orang miskin tapi bajunya bermerk, setting beda waktu bertahun-tahun tapi kondisi kehidupan masih sama. Di sinetron kayaknya ngga ada setting waktu, bisa kapan aja tanpa ada perubahan yang signifikan. Ketidaklogisan bukan hanya dari segi setting, kostum, dsbnya tapi juga pemilihan pemain. Pemeran ibu kadang masih berumur belasan. Anak sekolahan berperan jadi eksekutif muda berdasi. Ibu muda umur 20an jadi ibu-ibu umur 40an. Luar biasa aneh dan tidak masuk akal, tapi begitulah adanya
Pemilihan pemeran yang ‘asal’ masih ditambah akting pemain yang buruk. Akting yang berlebihan, terlalu dibuat-buat atau malah terlalu datar. Meski aku bukan kritikus film atau guru seni peran, aku bisa menilai kalau akting mereka itu buruk. Kalau marah selalu identik dengan mata melotot, urat leher keluar dan suara menggelegar. Dari mulai akting yang sok imut, sok polos (bukannya bikin simpati tapi malah bikin emosi :P) hingga akting yang sok ‘cool’ semuanya ngga ada yang beres. Paling sebel kalau lihat akting artis indo yang sok ngga bisa bahasa Indonesia. Masak ngga bisa bahasa Indonesia bisa berperan jadi orang Indonesia? Entahlah apa pertimbangannya.
Dari semua hal buruk yang ada pada sinetron kita, yang paling ngga bisa ditolerir adalah aksi jahat yang ditampilkan. Aksi jahat di sinetron kita udah mencapai tahap yang membahayakan. Anak SD udah diajari bermusuhan, bahkan kadang gara-gara rebutan pacar. Lebih buruk lagi mereka suka menjahati teman, sampai punya niat meracuni, membunuh, melenyapkan nyawa. Sangat memprihatinkan dan menjijikan!!! Bapak menjual anak, teman meracuni teman, pokoknya jahatnya orang jahat deh…Menghilangkan nyawa jadi hal yang umum di sinetron.
Kreator sinetron kadang berdalih kalau cerita mereka menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari atau terinspirasi kehidupan sehari-hari. Tapi apa iya masyarakat kita seburuk itu? Aku ngga mau munafik memang banyak orang jahat di Indonesia ini tapi apa yang ditampilkan sinetron masih terlalu berlebihan. Bukannya aku mau munafik dengan menampilkan hal yang baik-baik saja tapi setidaknya tampilkanlah hal-hal yang tidak menyesatkan. Sinetron sama sekali tidak menyampaikan pesan apa pun.
Anehnya dengan semua keburukan sinetron, tetap saja ia mampu membius penonton. Seburuk apapun sinetron itu tetap ada peminatnya. Entah apa yang membuat sinetron begitu diminati di Indonesia. Menurutku tidak ada hal bagus yang bisa kita dapat dari sinetron. Sama sekali tidak menghibur yang ada malah bikin jantungan dan darah tinggi karena emosi lihat aksi jahat, akting, dan kebodohan karakter utama yang mau-maunya disiksa lahir dan batin. Riwayat sinetron dari dulu sampai sekarang tetap menjemukan. Sinetron…Oh…Sinetron kubenci tapi kaunanti…:P
Yap rasanya ngga berlebihan kalau aku bilang sinetron itu menyesatkan. Dari jaman SD sampai S1 ramuan sinetron tetap ngga berubah. Si kaya versus si miskin, perebutan harta warisan, anak hilang, hamil diluar nikah, anak yang tertukar, benci jadi cinta, gadis kaya yang sombong. Pokoknya monoton deh…Ngga kreatif…Entah karena ngga ada ide atau karena menuruti selera pasar. Tapi masak iya orang Indonesia ngga bosen sama yang namanya sinetron yang ceritanya selalu sama dengan pemain yang berbeda bahkan kadang pemainnya pun sama.
Kadang-kadang malah satu orang bisa muncul di dua sinetron yang ditayangkan dalam waktu bersamaan di dua stasiun tv yang berbeda. Parahnya lagi karakter yang dimainkan pun sama. Nah ngomong soal karakter, ada beberapa karakter yang selalu muncul dalam sinetron Indonesia, yaitu: gadis miskin yang baik hati (belakangan ketahuan kalau dia sebenarnya anak orang kaya), gadis kaya yang sombong (belakangan diceritakan kalau dia anak orang miskin), pemuda kaya yang naksir gadis miskin, pemuda baik hati yang naksir tokoh utama, gadis licik yang rela melakukan segala cara demi mendapat sang pujaan hati, ibu baik hati yang sayang keluarga, tante or bude judes yang menentang hubungan tokoh utama, ibu sadis yang ngotot nikahin anaknya sama orang kaya, bapak baik hati yang sayang anak, bapak jahat yang tega jual anaknya, bapak-bapak atau mas-mas berdasi yang ngga jelas kerjanya apa (yang penting pake dasi :P), pembantu rumah tangga yang baik hati suka nolongin majikan, pembantu jahat yang suka ikut-ikutan njahilin tokoh utama, dokter yang bisa diajak berkomplot buat rencana jahat, tokoh utama yang begonya minta ampun karena mau disiksa lahir dan batin (bukannya nglawan malah tetep mbantuin si penyiksa, emang ada orang sebodoh itu?). Wah kalau mau ditulis daftarnya, bisa panjang banget…
Kalau sinetronnya buat remaja ngga jauh beda karakternya biasanya tokoh utama kalau cewek ceroboh trus ngga cantik tapi naksir cowok cakep bin pintar (agak terpengaruh komik Jepang gitu d :P) Kalau tokoh utamanya cowok ngga jauh beda kok, cowok cupu naksir cewek popular. Pokoknya karakter-karakter di sinetron Indonesia itu hitam putih banget. Yang baik ya baik, yang jahat ya jahat banget. Padahal kan ngga ada orang yang bener-bener baik. Udah gitu perbedaan yang ditampilin selalu mencolok yang satu mobilnya BMW seri terbaru yang satu tinggal di gubuk reot. Sengaja dibikin kayak gitu buat menggali konflik yang nantinya bakal jadi jalinan cerita sinetron itu. Padahal ngga perlu nunjukin perbedaan semencolok itu untuk menggali konflik. Kalau jeli dan kreatif perbedaan kecil antar dua karakter pun bisa diolah menjadi konflik (bukannya sok tahu tapi berdasarkan kehidupan nyata aku sering lihat kok perbedaan kecil bisa jadi konflik besar, bahkan pernah mengalaminya sendiri :P).
Selain karakter yang seragam, cerita sinetron juga ngga jauh dari pakem Cinderella story yang berakhir bahagia. Emang sih semua orang mengharapkan akhir yang bahagia tapi ngga ada salahnya juga bikin akhir yang ngga bahagia. Tapi kayaknya kreator belum pede atau belum berani bikin ending yang beda. Kadang malah endingnya ngga masuk akal. Hanya karena sinetron ngga laku terus kreator buru-buru mengakhirinya tanpa peduli jalan cerita sebelumnya. Cerita langsung disederhanakan dengan mengabaikan logika. Kacau deh endingnya…
Bukannya meremehkan atau gimana tapi sinetron Indonesia itu memang tidak dibuat dengan sungguh-sungguh. Bukan cuma logika yang diabaikan, setting, kostum dan perlengkapan pendukung pun ngga diperhatikan. Apa ngga ada riset ya sebelum bikin sinetron? Masak karakternya orang miskin tapi bajunya bermerk, setting beda waktu bertahun-tahun tapi kondisi kehidupan masih sama. Di sinetron kayaknya ngga ada setting waktu, bisa kapan aja tanpa ada perubahan yang signifikan. Ketidaklogisan bukan hanya dari segi setting, kostum, dsbnya tapi juga pemilihan pemain. Pemeran ibu kadang masih berumur belasan. Anak sekolahan berperan jadi eksekutif muda berdasi. Ibu muda umur 20an jadi ibu-ibu umur 40an. Luar biasa aneh dan tidak masuk akal, tapi begitulah adanya
Pemilihan pemeran yang ‘asal’ masih ditambah akting pemain yang buruk. Akting yang berlebihan, terlalu dibuat-buat atau malah terlalu datar. Meski aku bukan kritikus film atau guru seni peran, aku bisa menilai kalau akting mereka itu buruk. Kalau marah selalu identik dengan mata melotot, urat leher keluar dan suara menggelegar. Dari mulai akting yang sok imut, sok polos (bukannya bikin simpati tapi malah bikin emosi :P) hingga akting yang sok ‘cool’ semuanya ngga ada yang beres. Paling sebel kalau lihat akting artis indo yang sok ngga bisa bahasa Indonesia. Masak ngga bisa bahasa Indonesia bisa berperan jadi orang Indonesia? Entahlah apa pertimbangannya.
Dari semua hal buruk yang ada pada sinetron kita, yang paling ngga bisa ditolerir adalah aksi jahat yang ditampilkan. Aksi jahat di sinetron kita udah mencapai tahap yang membahayakan. Anak SD udah diajari bermusuhan, bahkan kadang gara-gara rebutan pacar. Lebih buruk lagi mereka suka menjahati teman, sampai punya niat meracuni, membunuh, melenyapkan nyawa. Sangat memprihatinkan dan menjijikan!!! Bapak menjual anak, teman meracuni teman, pokoknya jahatnya orang jahat deh…Menghilangkan nyawa jadi hal yang umum di sinetron.
Kreator sinetron kadang berdalih kalau cerita mereka menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari atau terinspirasi kehidupan sehari-hari. Tapi apa iya masyarakat kita seburuk itu? Aku ngga mau munafik memang banyak orang jahat di Indonesia ini tapi apa yang ditampilkan sinetron masih terlalu berlebihan. Bukannya aku mau munafik dengan menampilkan hal yang baik-baik saja tapi setidaknya tampilkanlah hal-hal yang tidak menyesatkan. Sinetron sama sekali tidak menyampaikan pesan apa pun.
Anehnya dengan semua keburukan sinetron, tetap saja ia mampu membius penonton. Seburuk apapun sinetron itu tetap ada peminatnya. Entah apa yang membuat sinetron begitu diminati di Indonesia. Menurutku tidak ada hal bagus yang bisa kita dapat dari sinetron. Sama sekali tidak menghibur yang ada malah bikin jantungan dan darah tinggi karena emosi lihat aksi jahat, akting, dan kebodohan karakter utama yang mau-maunya disiksa lahir dan batin. Riwayat sinetron dari dulu sampai sekarang tetap menjemukan. Sinetron…Oh…Sinetron kubenci tapi kaunanti…:P
Selasa, 16 September 2008
Technology has made the world a better place to live
Technology has played an important role in our lives nowadays. People use technology almost in all aspects of their lives. Technology has become part of our lives. From example, when we wake up then see what time it is we see our clock, clock is the example of technology. Then before we start our daily activity, we take a shower using shower, shower is another example of technology. That just simple example, I can give you more examples but what I want to emphasize is I want to show that we face technology everyday in our lives. We can not deny that we need technology. Before we talk too much about technology, I think it is better for us to know what the meaning of technology is. According to Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary, technology is the application of scientific knowledge, and the methods and materials of applied science. In other word, we can simplify that technology includes two things, the methods and the products.
Electricity is one of the products of technology. We use electricity as our source in doing our activity. For example: we need electricity to turn on the lamp, imagine if there were no electricity, means that no lamp, we would live in the darkness. We use electricity to turn on our telephones, TV, radio, refrigerator, washing-machine, and of course computer. We have to admit that computer nowadays is our second brain, our tool to do our job. Almost every job use computer. Computers also control a lot of things, if there were no computers, we would control manually which would be difficult.
Below, I would like to describe some of the advantages of technology in some aspects.
Technology in transportation makes it easy to move from one place to another place because the invention of car, plane, ship, train, etc. It allows us to be a mobile person, and it saves our time. For example if we want to go to other country, we can use plane, which is take a very short time to travel abroad. It allows us to visit other places in a short time.
Technology in medical field has helped doctors cure their medical patients. Technology helps people live longer, I mean technology can cure some diseases, also can retard the damage of the body. For example, hemodialisa machine can help patients with kidney problem live longer because this machine can retard the damage of the kidney. This machine replaces the kidney by discard the poison in the body. In surgery, now we have the method which is called laparoscopy. This method gives more advantage than the manual surgery. Laparoscopy is different with manual surgery, we do not need long cutlet. In laparoscopy, the surgical operation does not need cutlet, it only needs very small pricks in our body. This prick is very small, only like a dot. It needs three pricks in our body, from these pricks, some kind of tube enters our body, also the camera. And the doctor does the surgery by seeing the monitor. The advantages of this method are low risk, the recovery only need a short time, painless, no scratch.
Technology in working area makes the job easier to be done. As I mentioned earlier that recently almost every job has been controlled by computer. Computer helps people do their job effectively and efficiently.
Technology in education field supports the learning process that can motivate and help the students.
Technology in household helps people do the housework. For example, we do not need to wash manually, but we can use washing machine.
Technology in communication helps people communicate and get in touch with others effectively and efficiently. For example, we can use telephones, cell phones to talk to our relatives that live in different city. By watching television, we know what happens in the world, etc.
Somehow, technology helps us in make things easy to do. Technology makes our lives be much easier to live. By technology, we can do everything easily. We need technology to support our life. I think people start to depend on technology. In other words, we can say that we can not live without technology. And of course technology has made the world a better place to live. Technology helps us to overcome the problem as a human being in the world. Technology gives us the things that we can not get from the nature. But of course we have to have a big responsibility in using technology. We have to be aware of the development of technology. As a human being, we have to remember that we are the creator of technology not the slave of technology. We have to use technology in a good purpose, not to harm others. When we use technology, we have to care about environment, animals, and other people. Do not be greedy, do not use technology as a tool to do crime or evil things. :)
Electricity is one of the products of technology. We use electricity as our source in doing our activity. For example: we need electricity to turn on the lamp, imagine if there were no electricity, means that no lamp, we would live in the darkness. We use electricity to turn on our telephones, TV, radio, refrigerator, washing-machine, and of course computer. We have to admit that computer nowadays is our second brain, our tool to do our job. Almost every job use computer. Computers also control a lot of things, if there were no computers, we would control manually which would be difficult.
Below, I would like to describe some of the advantages of technology in some aspects.
Technology in transportation makes it easy to move from one place to another place because the invention of car, plane, ship, train, etc. It allows us to be a mobile person, and it saves our time. For example if we want to go to other country, we can use plane, which is take a very short time to travel abroad. It allows us to visit other places in a short time.
Technology in medical field has helped doctors cure their medical patients. Technology helps people live longer, I mean technology can cure some diseases, also can retard the damage of the body. For example, hemodialisa machine can help patients with kidney problem live longer because this machine can retard the damage of the kidney. This machine replaces the kidney by discard the poison in the body. In surgery, now we have the method which is called laparoscopy. This method gives more advantage than the manual surgery. Laparoscopy is different with manual surgery, we do not need long cutlet. In laparoscopy, the surgical operation does not need cutlet, it only needs very small pricks in our body. This prick is very small, only like a dot. It needs three pricks in our body, from these pricks, some kind of tube enters our body, also the camera. And the doctor does the surgery by seeing the monitor. The advantages of this method are low risk, the recovery only need a short time, painless, no scratch.
Technology in working area makes the job easier to be done. As I mentioned earlier that recently almost every job has been controlled by computer. Computer helps people do their job effectively and efficiently.
Technology in education field supports the learning process that can motivate and help the students.
Technology in household helps people do the housework. For example, we do not need to wash manually, but we can use washing machine.
Technology in communication helps people communicate and get in touch with others effectively and efficiently. For example, we can use telephones, cell phones to talk to our relatives that live in different city. By watching television, we know what happens in the world, etc.
Somehow, technology helps us in make things easy to do. Technology makes our lives be much easier to live. By technology, we can do everything easily. We need technology to support our life. I think people start to depend on technology. In other words, we can say that we can not live without technology. And of course technology has made the world a better place to live. Technology helps us to overcome the problem as a human being in the world. Technology gives us the things that we can not get from the nature. But of course we have to have a big responsibility in using technology. We have to be aware of the development of technology. As a human being, we have to remember that we are the creator of technology not the slave of technology. We have to use technology in a good purpose, not to harm others. When we use technology, we have to care about environment, animals, and other people. Do not be greedy, do not use technology as a tool to do crime or evil things. :)
A Letter for God
Dear God…
God…If you’re there. If you really exist (I hope you do) please read this.
I am writing this cos’ I don’t know how to tell You what I feel…
They say You already know it without I’m telling You, but does it really true? I don’t know…
Too many questions in my head, I wish I could find the answer but I couldn’t.
Then I turn to You, but You keep silent… What is wrong with You? Or may be I should ask myself, what’s wrong with me?
God, they say You will answer our prayer, but You didn’t answer mine. Why?
I always believe in You, I depend on You but You let me down once…and its hurt…
I won’t forget the day You did it to me…
It was like a nightmare and I wished that I could wake up and realize that it was just a dream. But it wasn’t…
It was real…as real as life…
How could You do this to me?
I was mad…angry…sad…disappointed…and I gave up on You…
I started to lose my faith on You… I thought You didn’t exist.
It took a long time to realize what’s behind this whole thing.
I knew that I’m not a child anymore.
Time to grow up. And grow up means that I have to accept reality and try to deal with Your plan, whatever it is.
May be You have Your own plan and may be it is not something that I want but I have to face it…
May be it is called grow up.
God, You are mystery…
You will always be…
God…If you’re there. If you really exist (I hope you do) please read this.
I am writing this cos’ I don’t know how to tell You what I feel…
They say You already know it without I’m telling You, but does it really true? I don’t know…
Too many questions in my head, I wish I could find the answer but I couldn’t.
Then I turn to You, but You keep silent… What is wrong with You? Or may be I should ask myself, what’s wrong with me?
God, they say You will answer our prayer, but You didn’t answer mine. Why?
I always believe in You, I depend on You but You let me down once…and its hurt…
I won’t forget the day You did it to me…
It was like a nightmare and I wished that I could wake up and realize that it was just a dream. But it wasn’t…
It was real…as real as life…
How could You do this to me?
I was mad…angry…sad…disappointed…and I gave up on You…
I started to lose my faith on You… I thought You didn’t exist.
It took a long time to realize what’s behind this whole thing.
I knew that I’m not a child anymore.
Time to grow up. And grow up means that I have to accept reality and try to deal with Your plan, whatever it is.
May be You have Your own plan and may be it is not something that I want but I have to face it…
May be it is called grow up.
God, You are mystery…
You will always be…
Minggu, 14 September 2008
Aku dan Dunia
Dunia…satu kata sejuta makna. Setiap orang akan mengartikan kata ‘dunia’ secara berbeda. Tiap orang juga akan menggunakan kata ‘dunia’ dalam konteks yang berbeda. Sering kan kita dengar istilah ‘dunia politik,’ ‘dunia hiburan,’ ‘dunia remaja,’ ‘dunia anak,’ dsbnya. Atau dunia digunakan untuk menerangkan sesuatu yang bersifat global seperti pada istilah ‘piala dunia.’ Tulisan ini tidak bermaksud membahas kata ‘dunia’ dari segi bahasa, jadi kita sudahi saja perbincangan mengenai penggunaan kata ‘dunia’ dalam berbagai konteks.
Supaya tidak melenceng kemana-mana, aku mau mempersempit kata dunia yang aku gunakan dalam tulisan ini. Dunia yang kumaksud disini adalah dunia dimana aku hidup termasuk orang-orang di sekitarnya. Dunia dimana aku menjalani kehidupan sehari-hari dan berinteraksi dengan orang lain. Termasuk masyarakat dimana aku hidup berikut dengan norma peraturan dan segala tetek-bengek tentangnya.
Sebagai penghuni dunia kadang aku merasa kalau aku hidup dalam dunia yang berseberangan. Aku tidak selalu sepaham dengan dunia. Dunia dimana aku hidup terlalu ‘hipokrit’ dan terlalu ‘mendikte.’ Dunia dimana aku hidup adalah dunia yang sangat tidak bersahabat. Dunia yang memakai topeng dan enggan melepaskan topengnya. Dunia yang penuh kepalsuan.
Ini semua karena dunia dibentuk oleh orang-orang yang ‘hipokrit,’ orang-orang sok pintar yang merasa diri mereka paling benar. Orang-orang yang suka mendikte, suka mengatur namun tidak suka diatur dan suka ikut campur. Mereka yang hanya bisa membuat peraturan tapi tidak bisa mematuhi peraturan. Mereka yang egois namun mengaku berjiwa sosial. Mereka yang bertindak sebagai Tuhan.
Kadang aku muak dengan dunia…Aku muak dengan dunia yang ‘mendikteku.’ Memintaku menjadi seseorang yang bukan aku. Dunia yang tidak bisa menerima fakta bahwa aku ‘berbeda,’ fakta bahwa semua orang itu ‘berbeda.’ Dunia yang terlalu mengatur. Dunia yang tidak menghargai kesetaraan dan Hak Asasi Manusia.Mereka yang mengaku sebagai penjunjung HAM nyatanya hanya bisa ‘berkoar’ tapi tidak bisa menghargai HAM. Kepalsuan yang aku lihat dalam dunia ini layaknya sebuah sandiwara dengan ‘orang-orang sok berkuasa’ sebagai sutradaranya. Sungguh sangat memuakkan…
Tapi itulah dunia. Dunia yang aku hadapi, aku lihat, dan aku rasakan. Aku hanyalah satu dari sekian banyak orang yang mencoba bertahan dalam dunia ini. Aku hanyalah sesosok kecil dalam dunia yang besar. Aku tidak suka didikte, tidak suka diatur, tidak suka dikekang. Aku ingin bebas, bebas menjadi diriku sendiri, bebas memilih, bebas melakukan apa pun. Aku tidak suka orang menyampuri urusanku. Tapi sayangnya aku tidak bisa sebebas itu, karena aku hidup di ‘dunia nyata,’ Aku tidak hidup sendiri, aku hidup bersama orang lain.
Namun aku tidak menyerah. Aku akan melawan dunia jika mereka memojokkanku. Aku akan meraih kebebasanku dan menciptakan duniaku. Dunia dimana aku bisa merasa nyaman dan tak ada seorang pun yang menggangguku karena aku juga tak akan mengganggu mereka.
Jika dunia mulai memusuhiku, aku akan berlari ke duniaku. Masuk ke dalam duniaku, dan tinggal sendiri di dalamnya. Tak ada yang bisa masuk karena pintu duniaku tertutup untuk orang lain. Sayangnya itu semua hanya ada dalam khayalanku. Duniaku hanya ada dalam imajinasiku, dalam pikiranku. Aku tetap harus menghadapi dunia yang sesungguhnya walau terkadang aku memilih melarikan diri dalam duniaku…
Supaya tidak melenceng kemana-mana, aku mau mempersempit kata dunia yang aku gunakan dalam tulisan ini. Dunia yang kumaksud disini adalah dunia dimana aku hidup termasuk orang-orang di sekitarnya. Dunia dimana aku menjalani kehidupan sehari-hari dan berinteraksi dengan orang lain. Termasuk masyarakat dimana aku hidup berikut dengan norma peraturan dan segala tetek-bengek tentangnya.
Sebagai penghuni dunia kadang aku merasa kalau aku hidup dalam dunia yang berseberangan. Aku tidak selalu sepaham dengan dunia. Dunia dimana aku hidup terlalu ‘hipokrit’ dan terlalu ‘mendikte.’ Dunia dimana aku hidup adalah dunia yang sangat tidak bersahabat. Dunia yang memakai topeng dan enggan melepaskan topengnya. Dunia yang penuh kepalsuan.
Ini semua karena dunia dibentuk oleh orang-orang yang ‘hipokrit,’ orang-orang sok pintar yang merasa diri mereka paling benar. Orang-orang yang suka mendikte, suka mengatur namun tidak suka diatur dan suka ikut campur. Mereka yang hanya bisa membuat peraturan tapi tidak bisa mematuhi peraturan. Mereka yang egois namun mengaku berjiwa sosial. Mereka yang bertindak sebagai Tuhan.
Kadang aku muak dengan dunia…Aku muak dengan dunia yang ‘mendikteku.’ Memintaku menjadi seseorang yang bukan aku. Dunia yang tidak bisa menerima fakta bahwa aku ‘berbeda,’ fakta bahwa semua orang itu ‘berbeda.’ Dunia yang terlalu mengatur. Dunia yang tidak menghargai kesetaraan dan Hak Asasi Manusia.Mereka yang mengaku sebagai penjunjung HAM nyatanya hanya bisa ‘berkoar’ tapi tidak bisa menghargai HAM. Kepalsuan yang aku lihat dalam dunia ini layaknya sebuah sandiwara dengan ‘orang-orang sok berkuasa’ sebagai sutradaranya. Sungguh sangat memuakkan…
Tapi itulah dunia. Dunia yang aku hadapi, aku lihat, dan aku rasakan. Aku hanyalah satu dari sekian banyak orang yang mencoba bertahan dalam dunia ini. Aku hanyalah sesosok kecil dalam dunia yang besar. Aku tidak suka didikte, tidak suka diatur, tidak suka dikekang. Aku ingin bebas, bebas menjadi diriku sendiri, bebas memilih, bebas melakukan apa pun. Aku tidak suka orang menyampuri urusanku. Tapi sayangnya aku tidak bisa sebebas itu, karena aku hidup di ‘dunia nyata,’ Aku tidak hidup sendiri, aku hidup bersama orang lain.
Namun aku tidak menyerah. Aku akan melawan dunia jika mereka memojokkanku. Aku akan meraih kebebasanku dan menciptakan duniaku. Dunia dimana aku bisa merasa nyaman dan tak ada seorang pun yang menggangguku karena aku juga tak akan mengganggu mereka.
Jika dunia mulai memusuhiku, aku akan berlari ke duniaku. Masuk ke dalam duniaku, dan tinggal sendiri di dalamnya. Tak ada yang bisa masuk karena pintu duniaku tertutup untuk orang lain. Sayangnya itu semua hanya ada dalam khayalanku. Duniaku hanya ada dalam imajinasiku, dalam pikiranku. Aku tetap harus menghadapi dunia yang sesungguhnya walau terkadang aku memilih melarikan diri dalam duniaku…
Selasa, 09 September 2008
Kakak Yang Selalu Ingin Tahu
Kata orang banyak saudara itu enak, banyak yang nolongin kalo lagi susah. Makanya banyak anak tunggal yang pengen punya saudara. Katanya sih kalau jadi anak tunggal itu suka kesepian di rumah. Wah berbanding terbalik dengan aku dong... Kebetulan aku lahir di tengah-tengah keluarga besar. Aku punya dua kakak cewek dan dua kakak cowok. Komplet kan? :p
Seru lho punya keluarga besar, kalau semua kumpul di rumah, wah ramenya ngga ketulungan...pasar aja kalah. Biasanya sih rame berantem.he3... Maklumlah yang namanya punya saudara kan harus berbagi, nah kadang ada yang ngga mau ngalah. Ngotot mau menang sendiri. Jadinya ya berantem d... Makanan sehari-hari tuh.
Tapi yang mau aku bagi disini bukan masalah berantem itu, cuma aku mau bagi pengalaman ngadepin kakak cowok yang dari luar sok cool dan sok cuek tapi dalemnya pengen tahuuuuuu terussss. Maklumlah namanya juga cowok suka sok ngga peduli padahal penasaran gitu d...
Yang namanya punya saudara itu, mau ngga mau harus berbagi. Mulai dari berbagi kasih sayang orang tua sampai berbagi hal yang kecil kayak berbagi tempat, tv, makanan,dsbnya...hehehe... Soal berbagi sih ngga masalah buat aku, karena dari kecil udah terbiasa dengan itu semua. Tapi yang sering bikin gerah itu kalau mulai kakak-kakak pengen tahu urusanku.
Sebel? Udah pasti itu aku rasain. Gimana ngga sebel kalau mereka selalu aja pengen tahu. Selalu ikut-ikutan nimbrung kalau lagi ngobrol sama kakak cewek. Padahal kan masalah cewek gitu lho...
Yang paling bikin sebel kalau dua kakak cowokku semena-mena keluar masuk kamar, ikut-ikutan nguping kalau kita lagi nggosip, dan yang paling parah kalau mulai lihat-lihat lemari rahasia kita (tempat kita nyimpen barang-barang rahasia :p) trus nglihatin isinya, kalau ada kartu atau surat dibaca. Waduhhhhh...bikin emosi tingkat tinggi tuh...Kalau diusir malah ketawa-ketawa njengkelin...Huhhhhh.......Dasar!!!
Tapi itu dulu sih... Sekarang udah ngga separah itu kok. Masih suka ikut nimbrung gosip, masih suka keluar masuk kamar, masih suka pinjem buku ngga balikin, tapi udah ngga berani lihat yang rahasia2 lagi...Hehehe... Kalau sampai berani... Balasannya lebih kejam... :p
Mungkin emang yang namanya kakak itu dimana2 sama aja. Selalu pengen tahu kehidupan adiknya. Entah karena peduli atau cuma ngga ada kerjaan lain... Who knows? Cuma mereka yang tahu. Terlepas dari itu, mereka tetaplah kakak kita. Mau nyebelin, njengkelin, nyenengin... terima aja apa adanya. Toh Tuhanlah yang memilih mereka untuk jadi saudara kita. Bukan kita yang memilih.
Walaupun menerima mereka apa adanya bukan berarti juga kita ngga boleh kesel sama mereka. Mau kesel sah2 aja kok. Bahkan jujur aja tulisan ini aku buat saat aku sedang kesal dengan kakakku. Gara-garanya sepele, waktu aku lg bikin tulisan buat ngisi blogku ini, kakakku ikut-ikutan lihat, berdiri di belakangku trus komentar-komentar yang ngga penting. Paling males kalau lagi ngerjain sesuatu trus ada orang yang berdiri di belakangku terus komentar... Malah mood nulisnya ngga jadi keluar d...
Seru lho punya keluarga besar, kalau semua kumpul di rumah, wah ramenya ngga ketulungan...pasar aja kalah. Biasanya sih rame berantem.he3... Maklumlah yang namanya punya saudara kan harus berbagi, nah kadang ada yang ngga mau ngalah. Ngotot mau menang sendiri. Jadinya ya berantem d... Makanan sehari-hari tuh.
Tapi yang mau aku bagi disini bukan masalah berantem itu, cuma aku mau bagi pengalaman ngadepin kakak cowok yang dari luar sok cool dan sok cuek tapi dalemnya pengen tahuuuuuu terussss. Maklumlah namanya juga cowok suka sok ngga peduli padahal penasaran gitu d...
Yang namanya punya saudara itu, mau ngga mau harus berbagi. Mulai dari berbagi kasih sayang orang tua sampai berbagi hal yang kecil kayak berbagi tempat, tv, makanan,dsbnya...hehehe... Soal berbagi sih ngga masalah buat aku, karena dari kecil udah terbiasa dengan itu semua. Tapi yang sering bikin gerah itu kalau mulai kakak-kakak pengen tahu urusanku.
Sebel? Udah pasti itu aku rasain. Gimana ngga sebel kalau mereka selalu aja pengen tahu. Selalu ikut-ikutan nimbrung kalau lagi ngobrol sama kakak cewek. Padahal kan masalah cewek gitu lho...
Yang paling bikin sebel kalau dua kakak cowokku semena-mena keluar masuk kamar, ikut-ikutan nguping kalau kita lagi nggosip, dan yang paling parah kalau mulai lihat-lihat lemari rahasia kita (tempat kita nyimpen barang-barang rahasia :p) trus nglihatin isinya, kalau ada kartu atau surat dibaca. Waduhhhhh...bikin emosi tingkat tinggi tuh...Kalau diusir malah ketawa-ketawa njengkelin...Huhhhhh.......Dasar!!!
Tapi itu dulu sih... Sekarang udah ngga separah itu kok. Masih suka ikut nimbrung gosip, masih suka keluar masuk kamar, masih suka pinjem buku ngga balikin, tapi udah ngga berani lihat yang rahasia2 lagi...Hehehe... Kalau sampai berani... Balasannya lebih kejam... :p
Mungkin emang yang namanya kakak itu dimana2 sama aja. Selalu pengen tahu kehidupan adiknya. Entah karena peduli atau cuma ngga ada kerjaan lain... Who knows? Cuma mereka yang tahu. Terlepas dari itu, mereka tetaplah kakak kita. Mau nyebelin, njengkelin, nyenengin... terima aja apa adanya. Toh Tuhanlah yang memilih mereka untuk jadi saudara kita. Bukan kita yang memilih.
Walaupun menerima mereka apa adanya bukan berarti juga kita ngga boleh kesel sama mereka. Mau kesel sah2 aja kok. Bahkan jujur aja tulisan ini aku buat saat aku sedang kesal dengan kakakku. Gara-garanya sepele, waktu aku lg bikin tulisan buat ngisi blogku ini, kakakku ikut-ikutan lihat, berdiri di belakangku trus komentar-komentar yang ngga penting. Paling males kalau lagi ngerjain sesuatu trus ada orang yang berdiri di belakangku terus komentar... Malah mood nulisnya ngga jadi keluar d...
Minggu, 07 September 2008
“Chick-Lit” Rasa India
For Matrimonial Purposes, Cinta Kan Datang
Pengarang : Kavita Daswani
Penerbit : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama Jakarta, 2004
Tebal : 311 halaman
Kisah seru seorang perempuan kosmopolitan India yang terbentur dengan masalah perjodohan.
Anju, gadis India yang besar di Bombay, tumbuh dalam tradisi keluarga yang masih kolot. Sejak kecil Anju telah diajarkan bagaimana menjadi istri yang baik dan dipersiapkan untuk itu. Orangtuanya giat menjodohkan Anju dengan pria-pria India yang sesuai standar mereka. Namun perjodohan tersebut tidak ada yang berbuah manis. Jasa astrolog pun digunakan untuk memperlancar jodoh Anju. Namun tetap tidak ada hasilnya. Dan ini dianggap kegagalan bagi Anju, karena menikah bagi orang India adalah suatu kebanggaan.
Lelah dikasihani, Anju memutuskan melanjutkan studi ke Amerika. Meskipun awalnya ditentang, dengan sedikit tipuan dari astrolog kepercayaan keluarga Anju, ijin pun keluar. Di negeri impian itu Anju berhasil merintis karier sebagai humas dunia mode. Sewaktu sepupunya Nina yang berumur 22 tahun menikah, orangtua Anju semakin putus asa karena Anju yang berusia 33 tahun belum menikah. Kegiatan perjodohan pun semakin gencar dilakukan. Namun tetap gagal. Melalui pencariannya yang unik, cinta pun mendatangi Anju.
Kisah unik ini dituturkan dengan gaya bahasa khas “chick-lit” (chick-literature) yang lugas, santai namun cerdas. Selain judul ini “chick-lit” terdiri dari serangkaian judul yang berbeda pengarangnya. Judul-judul seperti The guy next door; Always The Bridesmaid; Can’t you keep a secret; Shopaholic; Wanderlust merupakan judul-judul “chick-lit” lainnya. Hampir semua cerita memiliki kesamaan. Semua kisahnya memaparkan kehidupan wanita karier yang masih lajang dan mandiri.
Berbeda dengan “chick-lit” lain yang kerap kali memaparkan kehidupan liar tokohnya. For matrimonial purposes ini, mengkarakterkan tokohnya sebagai perempuan baik-baik yang masih menjaga tradisi. Kesamaan tradisi antara Indonesia dan India membuat buku ini terasa lebih cocok dan dekat dengan kehidupan perempuan di Indonesia.
Kavita Daswani yang memang orang India asli menyelipkan beberapa kosakata dan kebiasaan India dalam buku ini. Buku ini akan menambah pengetahuan anda tentang India bukan hanya film dan goyangnya saja. Budaya India yang masih kental mewarnai kisah ini. Meskipun telah lama tinggal di negeri barat namun budaya ketimuran Anju masih melekat kuat. Mungkin ini salah satu pesan terselubung yang ingin disampaikan pengarang. Yakni jangan lupa akarmu.
Keistimewaan buku ini ada pada kisahnya yang mengangkat tradisi India yang kental dalam kehidupan perempuan kosmopolitan. Baru buku ini yang mengetengahkan budaya timur dalam “chick-lit,” kisah lainnya berlatar belakang budaya barat.
Penuturan kisah ini agak membingungkan karena ada unsur flashback. Buku yang terdiri dari sembilan belas bab ini diakhiri dengan epilog yang menjadi penutup kisah cinta Anju. Adanya kutipan kalimat dari seorang tokoh maupun buku di awal setiap bab menjadi daya tarik tersendiri. Gaya ini mengingatkan pada gaya penulisan “Chicken Soup” yang selalu mengutip kalimat di awal kisahnya.
Kelemahan buku ini terlalu menyingkat bagian akhir. Penantian Anju akan cinta seakan tergesa-gesa ditutup pengarang dengan kehadiran Rohan yang tiba-tiba. Tidak ada kejutan diakhir cerita, semuanya seakan mudah ditebak. Dari awal pengarang tidak menghadirkan kejutan yang berarti. Sama dengan “chick-lit” lainnya, si tokoh akhirnya menemukan pasangan. Ini sebenarnya tidak sesuai dengan semboyan “chick-lit” being single and happy, harusnya pengarang berani membuat ending dimana si tokoh tetap lajang. Hidup lajang bukanlah akhir dari segalanya. Orang tidaklah harus menikah untuk bahagia karena hidup sendiri pun juga bisa bahagia.
Secara keseluruhan buku ini memang cocok sebagai bacaan ringan untuk mengisi waktu luang. Kisahnya disesuaikan dengan target pembaca yaitu perempuan muda yang lajang dan mandiri:)
Pengarang : Kavita Daswani
Penerbit : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama Jakarta, 2004
Tebal : 311 halaman
Kisah seru seorang perempuan kosmopolitan India yang terbentur dengan masalah perjodohan.
Anju, gadis India yang besar di Bombay, tumbuh dalam tradisi keluarga yang masih kolot. Sejak kecil Anju telah diajarkan bagaimana menjadi istri yang baik dan dipersiapkan untuk itu. Orangtuanya giat menjodohkan Anju dengan pria-pria India yang sesuai standar mereka. Namun perjodohan tersebut tidak ada yang berbuah manis. Jasa astrolog pun digunakan untuk memperlancar jodoh Anju. Namun tetap tidak ada hasilnya. Dan ini dianggap kegagalan bagi Anju, karena menikah bagi orang India adalah suatu kebanggaan.
Lelah dikasihani, Anju memutuskan melanjutkan studi ke Amerika. Meskipun awalnya ditentang, dengan sedikit tipuan dari astrolog kepercayaan keluarga Anju, ijin pun keluar. Di negeri impian itu Anju berhasil merintis karier sebagai humas dunia mode. Sewaktu sepupunya Nina yang berumur 22 tahun menikah, orangtua Anju semakin putus asa karena Anju yang berusia 33 tahun belum menikah. Kegiatan perjodohan pun semakin gencar dilakukan. Namun tetap gagal. Melalui pencariannya yang unik, cinta pun mendatangi Anju.
Kisah unik ini dituturkan dengan gaya bahasa khas “chick-lit” (chick-literature) yang lugas, santai namun cerdas. Selain judul ini “chick-lit” terdiri dari serangkaian judul yang berbeda pengarangnya. Judul-judul seperti The guy next door; Always The Bridesmaid; Can’t you keep a secret; Shopaholic; Wanderlust merupakan judul-judul “chick-lit” lainnya. Hampir semua cerita memiliki kesamaan. Semua kisahnya memaparkan kehidupan wanita karier yang masih lajang dan mandiri.
Berbeda dengan “chick-lit” lain yang kerap kali memaparkan kehidupan liar tokohnya. For matrimonial purposes ini, mengkarakterkan tokohnya sebagai perempuan baik-baik yang masih menjaga tradisi. Kesamaan tradisi antara Indonesia dan India membuat buku ini terasa lebih cocok dan dekat dengan kehidupan perempuan di Indonesia.
Kavita Daswani yang memang orang India asli menyelipkan beberapa kosakata dan kebiasaan India dalam buku ini. Buku ini akan menambah pengetahuan anda tentang India bukan hanya film dan goyangnya saja. Budaya India yang masih kental mewarnai kisah ini. Meskipun telah lama tinggal di negeri barat namun budaya ketimuran Anju masih melekat kuat. Mungkin ini salah satu pesan terselubung yang ingin disampaikan pengarang. Yakni jangan lupa akarmu.
Keistimewaan buku ini ada pada kisahnya yang mengangkat tradisi India yang kental dalam kehidupan perempuan kosmopolitan. Baru buku ini yang mengetengahkan budaya timur dalam “chick-lit,” kisah lainnya berlatar belakang budaya barat.
Penuturan kisah ini agak membingungkan karena ada unsur flashback. Buku yang terdiri dari sembilan belas bab ini diakhiri dengan epilog yang menjadi penutup kisah cinta Anju. Adanya kutipan kalimat dari seorang tokoh maupun buku di awal setiap bab menjadi daya tarik tersendiri. Gaya ini mengingatkan pada gaya penulisan “Chicken Soup” yang selalu mengutip kalimat di awal kisahnya.
Kelemahan buku ini terlalu menyingkat bagian akhir. Penantian Anju akan cinta seakan tergesa-gesa ditutup pengarang dengan kehadiran Rohan yang tiba-tiba. Tidak ada kejutan diakhir cerita, semuanya seakan mudah ditebak. Dari awal pengarang tidak menghadirkan kejutan yang berarti. Sama dengan “chick-lit” lainnya, si tokoh akhirnya menemukan pasangan. Ini sebenarnya tidak sesuai dengan semboyan “chick-lit” being single and happy, harusnya pengarang berani membuat ending dimana si tokoh tetap lajang. Hidup lajang bukanlah akhir dari segalanya. Orang tidaklah harus menikah untuk bahagia karena hidup sendiri pun juga bisa bahagia.
Secara keseluruhan buku ini memang cocok sebagai bacaan ringan untuk mengisi waktu luang. Kisahnya disesuaikan dengan target pembaca yaitu perempuan muda yang lajang dan mandiri:)
Pay it Forward
Masih ingat film pay it forward? Film drama yang dibintangi Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt dan Kevin Spacey ini bercerita tentang seorang anak yang mengajukan teori unik tentang kebaikan. Si anak yang diperankan dengan baik oleh Haley Joel Osment berpendapat jika kita mendapat kebaikan dari seseorang, maka kita harus membagi kebaikan pada tiga orang lainnya. Artinya jika ada orang yang berbuat baik pada kita, kita juga harus berbuat baik pada tiga orang lainnya. Dan selanjutnya tiga orang yang kita bantu tersebut, masing-masing harus menyebarkan kebaikan mereka pada tiga orang lagi. Dan begitu seterusnya… Pada akhirnya semua orang di dunia ini akan berbagi dan saling merasakan kebaikan. Teori yang sangat indah sebenarnya. Cerita yang sederhana ini terangkai dengan indah sehingga mampu mengharubiru penonton (termasuk aku :p). Meski tidak berakhir bahagia, film ini tetap membawa kesan yang dalam buat aku :)
Tapi bukan film ini yang mau aku bahas melainkan ‘teorinya’ si Haley Joel Osment. Coba kalau teori ini bisa dipraktekkan sama orang-orang di seluruh dunia. Dimana mereka saling berbagi kebaikan dan bukannya menabur kebencian. Wah… it would be a wonderful world. Tapi…mimpi kali ya!!!!!!! Susah untuk mewujudkannya. Dunia kan diisi oleh beraneka rupa manusia dengan karakternya yang berbeda-beda. Susah untuk menyatukan mereka dalam satu pemikiran, yakni berbagi kebaikan. Apalagi setiap orang punya definisi sendiri tentang ‘kebaikan.’ Mungkin menurut mereka, mereka sudah berbuat ‘baik,’ tapi muncul pertanyaan, ‘baik’ untuk siapa?
Secara sederhana kata ‘kebaikan’ sering dikonotasikan dengan perbuatan yang berguna bagi orang lain, juga bagi diri sendiri. Dulu waktu kita masih SD, sering kali kita dengar bu guru atau pak guru menasihati kita untuk berbuat baik pada sesama. Waktu pelajaran agama pun, kata-kata ini jadi kata sakti. Ya kayak password kalau mau masuk surga gitu deh… Tapi kayaknya kata-kata ini masuk telinga kanan keluar lewat telinga kiri. Alias ngga ‘nyangkut’ dalam otak kita :p Buktinya masih ada aja kejahatan di muka bumi ini. Ya itu tadi, karena manusia ini beraneka rupa. Ada yang ndengerin, ada yang enggak. Ada yang ‘praktekin’, ada yang ‘enggak’… Kayaknya sia-sia deh bu guru, pak guru, dan pemuka agama menyerukan kebaikan toh mereka ngga didengerin…:p Gimana mau ndengerin kalau kadang mereka yang menyerukan kebaikan tidak memberi contoh yang baik. Justru mereka malah jadi pelaku kejahatan. Lain di mulut lain di perbuatan… Bisa memberi nasihat tapi tidak bisa ‘mempraktekkannya.’ Dan kenyataannya memang begitu. Banyak yang cuma ‘omdo’ alias ‘omong doang.’
Bahkan mungkin aku salah satu di antara mereka. Dari tadi aku ngomong soal kebaikan dsbnya, tapi apa aku sendiri sudah berbuat baik? Setiap kali ingat film Pay It Forward atau mungkin cuma denger or baca tulisan itu, aku selalu bertanya sama diriku sendiri ‘sudahkan aku berbuat baik hari ini?’ Dan mayoritas jawabanku belum :p Harus kuakui kalau aku memang bukan orang baik. Kalau memang ‘kebaikan’ itu didefinisikan perbuatan yang berguna bagi orang lain, berarti aku termasuk orang yang sangat jarang menyebarkan kebaikan. Jarang sekali perbuatanku berguna bagi orang lain. Kadang hanya berguna untuk diriku sendiri, kadang malah merugikan orang lain. Itu karena aku orang yang ‘egois’ yang hanya memikirkan diri sendiri dan mementingkan diri sendiri. Gimana kita bisa berbuat baik kalau yang kita pikirkan hanya diri sendiri. Begitulah manusia… Mungkin banyak orang di luar sana yang seperti aku. Nah kalau mau jadi pengikut teori Haley Joel Osment, aku harus mengurangi ‘ke-egoisan-ku.’ Susah sih…tapi setidaknya aku berusaha untuk mulai berbuat ‘kebaikan.’ Ngga usah muluk-muluk, cukup mulai dari hal-hal yang kecil. Mulai dengan orang-orang di sekeliling kita yang tiap hari bantuin kita. Yah setidaknya show some respects for their help by saying thank you and give them a nice smile :) Percaya ngga kalau sebuah senyuman bisa berguna untuk orang lain? Dulu, aku pernah baca kalau kita memberi senyuman pada seseorang, orang tersebut akan merasa lebih bahagia. Kalau dia lebih bahagia maka dia akan lebih bersemangat dalam bekerja, dan akan menularkan semangat dan kebahagiaannya ke orang lain. Entah benar, entah tidak pendapat ini. Yang pasti aku percaya kalau orang lebih senang mendapat senyuman daripada harus menghadapi wajah masam. Coba bayangkan kalau pagi-pagi kita sudah berhadapan dengan wajah masam, wah… pasti kita jadi jengkel dan ikut uring-uringan. Jadi, daripada menularkan kejengkelan kan lebih baik menularkan keceriaan :)
Beberapa hari yang lalu aku coba mempraktekkan teori kebaikan ini. Waktu bangun pagi, aku sudah mendapat kebaikan. Satu kebaikan. Lalu dalam perjalanan menuju suatu tempat, aku mendapat satu kebaikan lagi. Dua kebaikan. Dua hal sederhana tersebut ternyata mampu menumbuhkan semangatku di pagi yang mendung itu. Aku pun tergerak untuk membagi kebaikan pada orang lain. Walau kebaikan yang aku bagi cuma sederhana, aku harap tetap berguna untuk mereka. Dan semoga mereka membagi kebaikan ke orang lain…:)
Tapi bukan film ini yang mau aku bahas melainkan ‘teorinya’ si Haley Joel Osment. Coba kalau teori ini bisa dipraktekkan sama orang-orang di seluruh dunia. Dimana mereka saling berbagi kebaikan dan bukannya menabur kebencian. Wah… it would be a wonderful world. Tapi…mimpi kali ya!!!!!!! Susah untuk mewujudkannya. Dunia kan diisi oleh beraneka rupa manusia dengan karakternya yang berbeda-beda. Susah untuk menyatukan mereka dalam satu pemikiran, yakni berbagi kebaikan. Apalagi setiap orang punya definisi sendiri tentang ‘kebaikan.’ Mungkin menurut mereka, mereka sudah berbuat ‘baik,’ tapi muncul pertanyaan, ‘baik’ untuk siapa?
Secara sederhana kata ‘kebaikan’ sering dikonotasikan dengan perbuatan yang berguna bagi orang lain, juga bagi diri sendiri. Dulu waktu kita masih SD, sering kali kita dengar bu guru atau pak guru menasihati kita untuk berbuat baik pada sesama. Waktu pelajaran agama pun, kata-kata ini jadi kata sakti. Ya kayak password kalau mau masuk surga gitu deh… Tapi kayaknya kata-kata ini masuk telinga kanan keluar lewat telinga kiri. Alias ngga ‘nyangkut’ dalam otak kita :p Buktinya masih ada aja kejahatan di muka bumi ini. Ya itu tadi, karena manusia ini beraneka rupa. Ada yang ndengerin, ada yang enggak. Ada yang ‘praktekin’, ada yang ‘enggak’… Kayaknya sia-sia deh bu guru, pak guru, dan pemuka agama menyerukan kebaikan toh mereka ngga didengerin…:p Gimana mau ndengerin kalau kadang mereka yang menyerukan kebaikan tidak memberi contoh yang baik. Justru mereka malah jadi pelaku kejahatan. Lain di mulut lain di perbuatan… Bisa memberi nasihat tapi tidak bisa ‘mempraktekkannya.’ Dan kenyataannya memang begitu. Banyak yang cuma ‘omdo’ alias ‘omong doang.’
Bahkan mungkin aku salah satu di antara mereka. Dari tadi aku ngomong soal kebaikan dsbnya, tapi apa aku sendiri sudah berbuat baik? Setiap kali ingat film Pay It Forward atau mungkin cuma denger or baca tulisan itu, aku selalu bertanya sama diriku sendiri ‘sudahkan aku berbuat baik hari ini?’ Dan mayoritas jawabanku belum :p Harus kuakui kalau aku memang bukan orang baik. Kalau memang ‘kebaikan’ itu didefinisikan perbuatan yang berguna bagi orang lain, berarti aku termasuk orang yang sangat jarang menyebarkan kebaikan. Jarang sekali perbuatanku berguna bagi orang lain. Kadang hanya berguna untuk diriku sendiri, kadang malah merugikan orang lain. Itu karena aku orang yang ‘egois’ yang hanya memikirkan diri sendiri dan mementingkan diri sendiri. Gimana kita bisa berbuat baik kalau yang kita pikirkan hanya diri sendiri. Begitulah manusia… Mungkin banyak orang di luar sana yang seperti aku. Nah kalau mau jadi pengikut teori Haley Joel Osment, aku harus mengurangi ‘ke-egoisan-ku.’ Susah sih…tapi setidaknya aku berusaha untuk mulai berbuat ‘kebaikan.’ Ngga usah muluk-muluk, cukup mulai dari hal-hal yang kecil. Mulai dengan orang-orang di sekeliling kita yang tiap hari bantuin kita. Yah setidaknya show some respects for their help by saying thank you and give them a nice smile :) Percaya ngga kalau sebuah senyuman bisa berguna untuk orang lain? Dulu, aku pernah baca kalau kita memberi senyuman pada seseorang, orang tersebut akan merasa lebih bahagia. Kalau dia lebih bahagia maka dia akan lebih bersemangat dalam bekerja, dan akan menularkan semangat dan kebahagiaannya ke orang lain. Entah benar, entah tidak pendapat ini. Yang pasti aku percaya kalau orang lebih senang mendapat senyuman daripada harus menghadapi wajah masam. Coba bayangkan kalau pagi-pagi kita sudah berhadapan dengan wajah masam, wah… pasti kita jadi jengkel dan ikut uring-uringan. Jadi, daripada menularkan kejengkelan kan lebih baik menularkan keceriaan :)
Beberapa hari yang lalu aku coba mempraktekkan teori kebaikan ini. Waktu bangun pagi, aku sudah mendapat kebaikan. Satu kebaikan. Lalu dalam perjalanan menuju suatu tempat, aku mendapat satu kebaikan lagi. Dua kebaikan. Dua hal sederhana tersebut ternyata mampu menumbuhkan semangatku di pagi yang mendung itu. Aku pun tergerak untuk membagi kebaikan pada orang lain. Walau kebaikan yang aku bagi cuma sederhana, aku harap tetap berguna untuk mereka. Dan semoga mereka membagi kebaikan ke orang lain…:)
Kamis, 04 September 2008
The Day Bul-bul Passed Away
I have a sad story in my life. I would never forget that moment. About 5 years ago, I had three dogs. I always have dogs since I was 7 years old because I love dogs a lot. At that time, I had two male dogs and female one. I called them Cokie, Gembul, and Bul-bul. Bul-bul was still a baby, about 3 months. I liked him very much. He was very nice and friendly. He had brown and thick fur. He was fat but active. He was very adorable. I like to play with him. I really enjoyed spending my time with him.
Until one day, on a beautiful morning a tragedy happened. As usual, when morning came my dad was going jogging around our neighborhood. When he walked to our gate, he found our three dogs lied on the ground. They were all dying. Immediately, my dad called my mom and my brother. Because of the noisy voice I heard, I woke up too.
I was shocked when I saw all of them were dying. I cried because I didn’t want them to die. Then, my brother found that someone had poisoned them. Someone tried to kill my dogs. My brother found some mysterious powder in some chicken that they had eaten. We guessed someone put poison on it and threw it into our front yard and unfortunately, our dogs ate it. We didn’t know what his intention giving poison to our dogs was, but we assumed whoever did it was someone who hates dogs.
That was early in the morning, we could not go to the veterinarian. I held Bul-bul wit my arm and caressing his fur. He seemed very suffered and weak. I knew that he would die, but I couldn’t let him go. He was a very lovely, and I loved him very much. But, in a short time, he passed away in a very poor condition… I was very sad
Fortunately, Cokie and Gembul could survive, they were alive. My brother said Cokie and Gembul survived because they were older than Bul-bul so they were stronger, but Bul-bul was just a baby, younger and weaker. This incident made me feel unhappy.
I was wondering why Bul-bul passed away so soon, why he left me. I still remembered the day before Bul-bul passed away. I had spent an afternoon with him. I remembered, I sat in a chair, I was reading comics and Bul-bul was next to me. He accompanied me. He sat near me. I never imagined that was my last time with him. That was the last time I could spend my time playing with Bul-bul.
Until now, I still feel bad about that moment. I always wonder what he looks like if he is still alive.
Until one day, on a beautiful morning a tragedy happened. As usual, when morning came my dad was going jogging around our neighborhood. When he walked to our gate, he found our three dogs lied on the ground. They were all dying. Immediately, my dad called my mom and my brother. Because of the noisy voice I heard, I woke up too.
I was shocked when I saw all of them were dying. I cried because I didn’t want them to die. Then, my brother found that someone had poisoned them. Someone tried to kill my dogs. My brother found some mysterious powder in some chicken that they had eaten. We guessed someone put poison on it and threw it into our front yard and unfortunately, our dogs ate it. We didn’t know what his intention giving poison to our dogs was, but we assumed whoever did it was someone who hates dogs.
That was early in the morning, we could not go to the veterinarian. I held Bul-bul wit my arm and caressing his fur. He seemed very suffered and weak. I knew that he would die, but I couldn’t let him go. He was a very lovely, and I loved him very much. But, in a short time, he passed away in a very poor condition… I was very sad
Fortunately, Cokie and Gembul could survive, they were alive. My brother said Cokie and Gembul survived because they were older than Bul-bul so they were stronger, but Bul-bul was just a baby, younger and weaker. This incident made me feel unhappy.
I was wondering why Bul-bul passed away so soon, why he left me. I still remembered the day before Bul-bul passed away. I had spent an afternoon with him. I remembered, I sat in a chair, I was reading comics and Bul-bul was next to me. He accompanied me. He sat near me. I never imagined that was my last time with him. That was the last time I could spend my time playing with Bul-bul.
Until now, I still feel bad about that moment. I always wonder what he looks like if he is still alive.
The Lord of The Rings trilogy
Each of the stories is very spectacular!!! I am not just talking about the setting but the story itself is such a good story. No wonder they won Oscar.
The story begins in a small village in Shire (it was somewhere in middle earth) where a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins inherited a sacred ring that have a strong power from his beloved uncle. In order to protect the Ring from The evil Sauron who wants the ring for himself (he wants to use the power to rule the world), Frodo must undergo a long journey that full of dangers to Mordor. He has to destroy the Ring by throwing it into the Mountain. Since it is a dangerous journey, Frodo is not alone. His friends accompany him. They are Sam (a very loyal friend, if you have such a nice friend like him, I am sure you will feel secure :p), Merry and Pippin (who look like twins), Gandalf, Legolas (an elf, I think he looks like metro sexual :p), Gimli (a dwarf), Boromir, and last but not least Aragorn. That is why they called as The Fellowship of The Ring. On the way to Mordor, they face danger and adventure.
I recommend you to watch those three movies, The Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of The King, if you have not watched it yet. The Lord of The Rings is adapted from the books written by J. R. R Tolkien in 1930s - 1940s and the first volume was published in 1954. I have ever watched in a TV program saying that actually the story was inspired by the situation at that time. Some characters created by J. R. R Tolkien were based on some real characters lived at that time. I do not know whether it is true or not, but text (in this matter the story) is always interconnected with the situation and condition around it. May be if I had a chance to interview Mr. Tolkien, I would ask him about this :)
Overall, we can get many lessons from the movies, such as friendship, trust, loyalty, and betrayal. I give two thumbs up for the movies…:)
The story begins in a small village in Shire (it was somewhere in middle earth) where a young hobbit named Frodo Baggins inherited a sacred ring that have a strong power from his beloved uncle. In order to protect the Ring from The evil Sauron who wants the ring for himself (he wants to use the power to rule the world), Frodo must undergo a long journey that full of dangers to Mordor. He has to destroy the Ring by throwing it into the Mountain. Since it is a dangerous journey, Frodo is not alone. His friends accompany him. They are Sam (a very loyal friend, if you have such a nice friend like him, I am sure you will feel secure :p), Merry and Pippin (who look like twins), Gandalf, Legolas (an elf, I think he looks like metro sexual :p), Gimli (a dwarf), Boromir, and last but not least Aragorn. That is why they called as The Fellowship of The Ring. On the way to Mordor, they face danger and adventure.
I recommend you to watch those three movies, The Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of The King, if you have not watched it yet. The Lord of The Rings is adapted from the books written by J. R. R Tolkien in 1930s - 1940s and the first volume was published in 1954. I have ever watched in a TV program saying that actually the story was inspired by the situation at that time. Some characters created by J. R. R Tolkien were based on some real characters lived at that time. I do not know whether it is true or not, but text (in this matter the story) is always interconnected with the situation and condition around it. May be if I had a chance to interview Mr. Tolkien, I would ask him about this :)
Overall, we can get many lessons from the movies, such as friendship, trust, loyalty, and betrayal. I give two thumbs up for the movies…:)
Pagi yang meyesakkan...
Pagi ini...dunia terasa berbeda...
Ketika aku membuka mata, semua terlihat tak sama. Mendung pagi nan kelabu yang menyambutku... Rasa malas semakin mengghinggapiku, namun aku tak boleh menyerah, dengan enggan kuayunkan langkahku menyambut hari baru...
Awan kelabu yang menaungi langkahku semakin memperburuk suasana hatiku...Tapi aku tidak sendiri...Ada banyak orang lalu lalang disana dengan segala kegundahan yang mereka rasakan.
Ada yang terasa aneh pagi ini. Jalanan tidak seperti biasanya, rame, padat, bahkan beberapa petugas berseragam berjejer layaknya prajurit menyambut raja. Ada apa dengan pagi ini?
Siapa gerangan yang mereka sambut?
Aku tak tahu...yang aku tahu pagi ini terasa begitu menyesakkan...
Ketika aku membuka mata, semua terlihat tak sama. Mendung pagi nan kelabu yang menyambutku... Rasa malas semakin mengghinggapiku, namun aku tak boleh menyerah, dengan enggan kuayunkan langkahku menyambut hari baru...
Awan kelabu yang menaungi langkahku semakin memperburuk suasana hatiku...Tapi aku tidak sendiri...Ada banyak orang lalu lalang disana dengan segala kegundahan yang mereka rasakan.
Ada yang terasa aneh pagi ini. Jalanan tidak seperti biasanya, rame, padat, bahkan beberapa petugas berseragam berjejer layaknya prajurit menyambut raja. Ada apa dengan pagi ini?
Siapa gerangan yang mereka sambut?
Aku tak tahu...yang aku tahu pagi ini terasa begitu menyesakkan...
Rabu, 13 Agustus 2008
Becoming Jane
Category: | Movies |
Genre: | Drama |
film ini bcerita tentang kisah hidup Jane Austen semasa muda. Jane Austen adalah seorang pengarang Inggris yang terkenal dengan karyanya Pride and Prejudice trus Sense and Sensibility, dll. Yg main Anne Hathaway (Princess Diaries 1-2, Devil wears Prada, Brokeback Mountain) sm James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland). Kisahnya dimulai waktu si Jane ud menginjak dewasa trus ibunya sibuk nyariin jodoh yg tepat buat Jane. Tapi Jane yang seneng menulis, punya prinsip ngga mau nikah sama orang yang ngga dia cintai cm demi status n harta. Sementara si ibu ud punya jodoh yg tepat buat Jane, cowo dari kalangan terpandang, anak org kaya gt d. Nah, pas kakaknya Jane pulang kampung, dia bw temen, temen kakaknya ini cowok kota yg hobi main tinju jalanan n mabuk2an. tp sebenernya dia pinter bin cerdas. Cowo ini yg main james mcavoy. Trus s Jane naksir sm cowo ini (cowonya belajar hukum). Meski sama2 suka tp hub mrk dapat tentangan dari pihak Jane maupun si cowo (nama perannya kalo ngg salah Tom Lefroy). Singkat cerita, Jane ngga bisa nikah sm cowo ini, n memilih utk ngga menikah seumur hidup. KEREN!!! Sebenernya jane punya kesempatan buat kawin lari sm tom tp jane ngga mau karena ngg mau nyusahin keluarga tom maupun keluarga jane. What a wise girl!!! Trus meski ngga bisa bersatu, ternyata mrk te2p saling mencintai, buktinya anak sulung s tom di kasih nama Jane. Mencintai bkn berarti harus memiliki kan??! Yg paling aku suka dari film ini adalah keputusan Jane untuk ngga menikah seumur hidupnya n memilih hidup dengan penanya sbg penulis. Jane ngga peduli anggapan masyarakat pd wkt it tentang penulis perempuan, Jane jg ud siap hidup miskin dr menulis drpd menikah sm cowo kaya yg ngga dia cintai,cewek yang punya prinsip d pokoknya. SALUT!!! Menurutku sh, cerita becoming jane ini menginspirasi bgt, khususnya buat perempuan muda ky kt2 ini.Jane punya semangat yg kuat buat jd penulis,dia siap dengan pilihan hidupnya n resikonya, n yg pasti jane ini cerdas n ngga peduli anggapan masyarakat.,trus dia jg siap berjuang demi mimpi n cita2nya n prinsip hidupnya.
Denger2, kisah nyata yg dialami jane inilah yg menginspirasi dia buat nulis novel Pride and Prejudice. Karakter s tom lefroy menjadi dasar dr karakter mr.darcy di novel ini.
Denger2, kisah nyata yg dialami jane inilah yg menginspirasi dia buat nulis novel Pride and Prejudice. Karakter s tom lefroy menjadi dasar dr karakter mr.darcy di novel ini.
MY FORBIDDEN FACE
Category : Books
Genre : Biographies & Memoirs
Author : Latifa
This is a story about a girl named Latifa who lived in Afghanistan. She wrote it as a testimony about her life in Afghanistan when Taliban occupied Afghanistan in 1996. Latifa tells us about her life, her family life, and especially about women in Taliban regime. Her life stops when Taliban takes over her country. She loses her freedom and women are like in hell in Taliban regime. Taliban forbids women go outside their house, forbids them go to work, forbids them go to school. Women are like prisoner in their own country. They are raped, abused, and killed by Taliban. Taliban also forbids radio, television, and films. This is a very personal story and honest. A story about people losing their freedom but struggle to get it back. We can see how brutal Taliban is from a girl’s point of view.
Genre : Biographies & Memoirs
Author : Latifa
This is a story about a girl named Latifa who lived in Afghanistan. She wrote it as a testimony about her life in Afghanistan when Taliban occupied Afghanistan in 1996. Latifa tells us about her life, her family life, and especially about women in Taliban regime. Her life stops when Taliban takes over her country. She loses her freedom and women are like in hell in Taliban regime. Taliban forbids women go outside their house, forbids them go to work, forbids them go to school. Women are like prisoner in their own country. They are raped, abused, and killed by Taliban. Taliban also forbids radio, television, and films. This is a very personal story and honest. A story about people losing their freedom but struggle to get it back. We can see how brutal Taliban is from a girl’s point of view.
BURNED ALIVE
Category : Books
Genre : Biographies & Memoirs
Author : Souad
Souad is seventeen years when she falls in love for the first time. Blinded by love, she has sex with her boyfriend before they get married. In her village, like many other places in her country (somewhere in Palestine), sex before married is a prohibition and consider as a serious offense. Bad news for Souad when she becomes pregnant and her boyfriend does not want to take the responsibility. When her family finds that she is pregnant without husband, they decides to kill her because she has brought disgrace to her family’s name, and this is forbidden in her village. Then, to safe his family honorary, his brother in law with the support of her family, burns Souad. Fortunately, she survives and her baby is fine too. Some villagers help her and take her to the hospital. Miracle happens when some social workers from Europe help her and take her to Europe to get some medicine. In Europe, Souad speaks up and tells the world about her experience. She tells her story and uncovers the brutality that exists in her village and in many other places.
Genre : Biographies & Memoirs
Author : Souad
Souad is seventeen years when she falls in love for the first time. Blinded by love, she has sex with her boyfriend before they get married. In her village, like many other places in her country (somewhere in Palestine), sex before married is a prohibition and consider as a serious offense. Bad news for Souad when she becomes pregnant and her boyfriend does not want to take the responsibility. When her family finds that she is pregnant without husband, they decides to kill her because she has brought disgrace to her family’s name, and this is forbidden in her village. Then, to safe his family honorary, his brother in law with the support of her family, burns Souad. Fortunately, she survives and her baby is fine too. Some villagers help her and take her to the hospital. Miracle happens when some social workers from Europe help her and take her to Europe to get some medicine. In Europe, Souad speaks up and tells the world about her experience. She tells her story and uncovers the brutality that exists in her village and in many other places.
THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS
Category : Books
Genre : Literature & Fiction
Author : Arundhati Roy
A very complicated book, need a lot of energy to understand this book. The story is just simple, about a family in Kerala (small city in India). But, the characters are very complex and their life as well. The father is a gentleman but he tortures his wife. The son is Marxist but he is hypocrite, he like to sleeps with his employee. The mother is a female who believes in patriarchy system. The daughter is a widow with two children, and she is in love with a man from different caste in society. This is a very complex book. We can find a lot of issues in this story, with the background of Indian society in 1960s. We can see how hypocrite is the society, we can find about caste in society, the domination of patriarchy system, and also the issue about child molester.
Genre : Literature & Fiction
Author : Arundhati Roy
A very complicated book, need a lot of energy to understand this book. The story is just simple, about a family in Kerala (small city in India). But, the characters are very complex and their life as well. The father is a gentleman but he tortures his wife. The son is Marxist but he is hypocrite, he like to sleeps with his employee. The mother is a female who believes in patriarchy system. The daughter is a widow with two children, and she is in love with a man from different caste in society. This is a very complex book. We can find a lot of issues in this story, with the background of Indian society in 1960s. We can see how hypocrite is the society, we can find about caste in society, the domination of patriarchy system, and also the issue about child molester.
Review SAMIRA AND SAMIR
Category: | Books |
Genre: | Literature & Fiction |
Author: | Siba Shakib |
The story about a girl in Afghanistan who is treated as a male because her father want to have a son. Samira was born as a female, but she has to hide her real identity as a female, and has to act as a male with the name Samir. Her father treat her as a son, because for him having a son is an honor in society, while having a daughter is dishonor. For Samira’s father having a son can make him be a ‘real gentleman.’ Samira’s life become more complicated when she grows up. And when she falls in love, she has to choose between reveals her real identity but lose her freedom as a male or forgets her love and lives as a male forever. But in the end, Samira choose a brilliant choice. She does not want to lose her freedom but she also does not want to be a male forever. In the end, she finds her own way.
How do dogs communicate?
We all know that animals different from us. So many differences that we can mention, but the most visible difference between human and animals is the way we communicate. We realize that animals do not use the same language as we have. They do not communicate like the way we communicate. We have language that helps us to communicate easily with others. Maybe animals have their own means too, but it is very different from ours.
Our language has five characteristics, which are: duality, displacement, creativity, patterning, and structure dependence. We cannot find these five characteristics in animal communication. Besides that, we also have many languages around the world. Different country uses different language, for example English, Indonesian, Italian, etc. Language allows us to communicate orally or in written form. While, animals do not write message or letter, they deliver it orally. What I mean is we can use so many things to send message to other people but animals cannot do that.
To learn more about animal communications, I observed animals around me. I observed my dogs. I have two dogs, so I observed both of them. My dog’s names are Maksym and Nuno. They are male. Maksym is younger than Nuno that is why he is more active than Nuno. Most people think dog communicates by barking, but actually not only barking. They can also communicate by gesture. By barking, dogs can express what they feel and also send messages, may be if they want something or they want to show something.
Dogs have different sound of bark. They use different intonation for different purposes. When I observed my dogs, they barked loudly and fast when some stranger entered my house. Their bark sounds like a threat. If I could translate it into words, it said, “If you enter my territory, I will bite you!” In this matter, my dogs felt that my house is their territory, so when someone entered my house, they felt threatened. Dogs recognize people by their smell. If they smell someone whose smell is not familiar with them, they cannot recognize him/her. So, the dogs will bark. They stopped barking when they were tired or bored.
My dogs are also sensitive with sound. If they heard something unusual, they barked. If they did not bark, they showed different gesture. They moved their head especially their ears to left or right direction. It was as if they were questioning something, like “what is it?” they were curious of that sound, and then they will run to where that sound comes from.
My dogs greet my family by wagged their tails fast and happily. They showed their happy face. They will wag their tails every time they feel happy. They use this gesture to express their emotions. When my dog Maksym wanted to get out, he barked loudly but short, I mean he barked, and then stopped than barked again. He barked like this when he want something. If he wanted to play with me, Maksym brought something in his mouth, usually stick or bottle, then he came to me and showed the thing that he brought. If I took that stick and threw it away, Maksym ran and took it. If I asked him to bring it to me, he brought it back to me. What I learn from this experience is that actually dog can learn how to communicate with people. If we teach them to do something patiently, they will respond to us, they are smart.
Actually, dogs respond to our voice, they recognize their name by memorizing our voice every time we call them. They do not memorize ‘what it said?’ but ‘how it sound?’ Every word produces different sound, and dog memorizes each sound they heard.
Besides that, dogs are also memorizing something by repetition. In my experience, every time Maksym feel hungry he will carry his plate in his mouth and he will come to me. He does this because when he was a baby, before I fed him, I asked him to bring his own plate, I gave him his plate and I asked him to bring it to the kitchen. He did it repeatedly, and if he did not do it, I taught him again until he remembered. Since that, when he felt hungry he showed me his plate. Maksym did this action as a way to send message to me that he was hungry. He used plate as a symbol of hungry. He also respond to my order, when I say “sit!” he will sit, when I say “stand up!” he will stand up, and when I say “give hand” he will raise his hand.
When my dogs felt scared, they hid their tails and they hid in a hidden place or they stayed close with people. If they were angry, they growled, they showed their teeth and their tails were upright. If they were happy, they played together.
Based on my observation and experience, I conclude that animals, in these case dogs, communicate by their voice (bark), and gesture. Just like us, they show their emotions too. They get their ability to communicate instinctively and by learning. Animals can learn to communicate, just like human learning other language.
Our language has five characteristics, which are: duality, displacement, creativity, patterning, and structure dependence. We cannot find these five characteristics in animal communication. Besides that, we also have many languages around the world. Different country uses different language, for example English, Indonesian, Italian, etc. Language allows us to communicate orally or in written form. While, animals do not write message or letter, they deliver it orally. What I mean is we can use so many things to send message to other people but animals cannot do that.
To learn more about animal communications, I observed animals around me. I observed my dogs. I have two dogs, so I observed both of them. My dog’s names are Maksym and Nuno. They are male. Maksym is younger than Nuno that is why he is more active than Nuno. Most people think dog communicates by barking, but actually not only barking. They can also communicate by gesture. By barking, dogs can express what they feel and also send messages, may be if they want something or they want to show something.
Dogs have different sound of bark. They use different intonation for different purposes. When I observed my dogs, they barked loudly and fast when some stranger entered my house. Their bark sounds like a threat. If I could translate it into words, it said, “If you enter my territory, I will bite you!” In this matter, my dogs felt that my house is their territory, so when someone entered my house, they felt threatened. Dogs recognize people by their smell. If they smell someone whose smell is not familiar with them, they cannot recognize him/her. So, the dogs will bark. They stopped barking when they were tired or bored.
My dogs are also sensitive with sound. If they heard something unusual, they barked. If they did not bark, they showed different gesture. They moved their head especially their ears to left or right direction. It was as if they were questioning something, like “what is it?” they were curious of that sound, and then they will run to where that sound comes from.
My dogs greet my family by wagged their tails fast and happily. They showed their happy face. They will wag their tails every time they feel happy. They use this gesture to express their emotions. When my dog Maksym wanted to get out, he barked loudly but short, I mean he barked, and then stopped than barked again. He barked like this when he want something. If he wanted to play with me, Maksym brought something in his mouth, usually stick or bottle, then he came to me and showed the thing that he brought. If I took that stick and threw it away, Maksym ran and took it. If I asked him to bring it to me, he brought it back to me. What I learn from this experience is that actually dog can learn how to communicate with people. If we teach them to do something patiently, they will respond to us, they are smart.
Actually, dogs respond to our voice, they recognize their name by memorizing our voice every time we call them. They do not memorize ‘what it said?’ but ‘how it sound?’ Every word produces different sound, and dog memorizes each sound they heard.
Besides that, dogs are also memorizing something by repetition. In my experience, every time Maksym feel hungry he will carry his plate in his mouth and he will come to me. He does this because when he was a baby, before I fed him, I asked him to bring his own plate, I gave him his plate and I asked him to bring it to the kitchen. He did it repeatedly, and if he did not do it, I taught him again until he remembered. Since that, when he felt hungry he showed me his plate. Maksym did this action as a way to send message to me that he was hungry. He used plate as a symbol of hungry. He also respond to my order, when I say “sit!” he will sit, when I say “stand up!” he will stand up, and when I say “give hand” he will raise his hand.
When my dogs felt scared, they hid their tails and they hid in a hidden place or they stayed close with people. If they were angry, they growled, they showed their teeth and their tails were upright. If they were happy, they played together.
Based on my observation and experience, I conclude that animals, in these case dogs, communicate by their voice (bark), and gesture. Just like us, they show their emotions too. They get their ability to communicate instinctively and by learning. Animals can learn to communicate, just like human learning other language.
Life is complicated
Life...how would you define this word? It is difficult to describe what does it mean. For me, life means what we must deal with every single day, since the day we were born until the day we die. Every moment we have, every step we make, that's called life.
If I were God
If I were God, I’d have the world in my hands;
I’d put it under my feet.
Right or wrong, I’d decide it.
Literature
Literature is something that cannot be defined into words. It is very difficult to formulate what is literature. People also find difficulties in classify which one is consider as literature, and which one is not. They have their own reason in classifying literatures. According to Horace definition, literature has two important components, which is sweet and useful.
Sweet means that literature has an entertaining essence, it is something delightful. It means that when you read poetry or novel, it entertains you. After reading this, you feel happy; it gives effect to your emotion.
While, useful means that you can learn something from literature. It means that, after reading literature you get something that benefit for you. In this matter, the benefit that you get from literature is related to your life, your way of thinking, and your way of seeing the world. You can get this benefit by understanding what you have read, not just read but understand the essence of the text. From this point, I can conclude what I have said before about literature. It is not important to know the meaning of literature, but it is important to understand the literature, what I mean is understand the text. As literature is meaningful.
Based on what I have read from Joseph Conrad, I conclude that literature is a picture of our life. It shows happiness, sadness, aspirations, dreams, hope, fear, everything that we feel, what we want, what we are questioning. The artists who create literature help us to learn more about our life and universe. The artists use words, pictures, and many other symbols and combine it. Literature shows the mystery of our life.
We can uncover the mystery of our life by interpreting the literature. Literature also helps us to meditate upon our life, what we have done, what we will do, etc. It also helps us to evaluate our relationship with others, the world, and ourselves. Literature opens our mind, guides us to be critical. It also influences our way of thinking, our way of seeing the world and universe.
Sweet means that literature has an entertaining essence, it is something delightful. It means that when you read poetry or novel, it entertains you. After reading this, you feel happy; it gives effect to your emotion.
While, useful means that you can learn something from literature. It means that, after reading literature you get something that benefit for you. In this matter, the benefit that you get from literature is related to your life, your way of thinking, and your way of seeing the world. You can get this benefit by understanding what you have read, not just read but understand the essence of the text. From this point, I can conclude what I have said before about literature. It is not important to know the meaning of literature, but it is important to understand the literature, what I mean is understand the text. As literature is meaningful.
Based on what I have read from Joseph Conrad, I conclude that literature is a picture of our life. It shows happiness, sadness, aspirations, dreams, hope, fear, everything that we feel, what we want, what we are questioning. The artists who create literature help us to learn more about our life and universe. The artists use words, pictures, and many other symbols and combine it. Literature shows the mystery of our life.
We can uncover the mystery of our life by interpreting the literature. Literature also helps us to meditate upon our life, what we have done, what we will do, etc. It also helps us to evaluate our relationship with others, the world, and ourselves. Literature opens our mind, guides us to be critical. It also influences our way of thinking, our way of seeing the world and universe.
Farmer
Farmer is the common profession in our country since our country is an agricultural country. Almost all of the population in village work as farmer. Here, the definition of farmer is those who work in ricefield, planting rice and vegetables. Rice is the main food in our country. That’s why rice is very important. Usually, we get rice and vegetables from market or shop. But, do we know those who plant rice and vegetables? I mean the farmer, rice and vegetables come from them before we buy it in a market. The answer is no. We don’t know anything about them and what they had done so we can eat rice and also vegetables. I think people ignore them. Whereas in fact they have worked very hard. This is not a popular profession, although they do a good turn. Imagine if there were no farmer, where would we get rice and vegetables?
Farmers have played an important role in our society. They have become the supplier for the rice demand. If farmers stopped plant rice, we would lack of rice so we had to buy rice from another country. If we imported rice from out side our country, the price would be very expensive. And only a few people can afford to buy rice. So, we should respect farmers. But, in reality, farmers were not treated in a good way. They did not get well-paid. When they sell rice to broker, sometimes they only receive little money while the broker receive much money. The broker buys the rice in low price, then they sell it again in higher price. It is unfair for the farmer because they only accept little money from their hard work.
Besides that, farmers only get money during the harvest season, while they have to fulfil their daily need every season. So, it would be difficult for them to fulfil their daily need if they only get little money. But that’s the reality, that’s why many villagers did not want to be a farmer and choose to leave village, and find a job in the city. If farmer got well-paid, many villagers would be a farmer so they would not move to the city. If they worked as a farmer, there would not be migration to the city and they would not work outside our country as “TKI” (: Tenaga Kerja Indonesia). Because when I read in newspaper usually the reason they become TKI because if they worked as a farmer, they would not get enough money to fulfil their daily need.
As I mention earlier, it is not a popular profession, I think because the pay is not worthy with what they have done. Their job needs a lot of energy because they work in ricefields not in an office. Farmers should have knowledge about plants, soil, and cultivating. It may sound easy but believe me it is not that easy. Farmer should be patient, hard worker, strong, healthy, diligent, and not give up easily.
This profession is very important in our society, they are our food provider. We should respect them by giving them well-paid. It is not like other profession is not important. They are important too, but farmer did not get a lot of attention, and people did not care about them. If they did not provide us with food, where we could get food? If we did not eat food, where we could get energy to do some work? It is like a life chain, where the farmers are the producer and we are the consumer. They are the source for us so we can produce too, what I mean we can do our job and produce something for our society. I mean, they provide us food, we eat it, then we get energy, after we have energy, we do our job, which is producing something for our society.
By giving them well-paid, it will attract many people to be a farmer. More farmers are better for us because it means that our food provider is more and more. We will not lack of food so we will not import food. And who knows our country could be a big producer of rice and vegetables, so we can export our food to other country. That will give us prosperity, hopefully.
Farmers have played an important role in our society. They have become the supplier for the rice demand. If farmers stopped plant rice, we would lack of rice so we had to buy rice from another country. If we imported rice from out side our country, the price would be very expensive. And only a few people can afford to buy rice. So, we should respect farmers. But, in reality, farmers were not treated in a good way. They did not get well-paid. When they sell rice to broker, sometimes they only receive little money while the broker receive much money. The broker buys the rice in low price, then they sell it again in higher price. It is unfair for the farmer because they only accept little money from their hard work.
Besides that, farmers only get money during the harvest season, while they have to fulfil their daily need every season. So, it would be difficult for them to fulfil their daily need if they only get little money. But that’s the reality, that’s why many villagers did not want to be a farmer and choose to leave village, and find a job in the city. If farmer got well-paid, many villagers would be a farmer so they would not move to the city. If they worked as a farmer, there would not be migration to the city and they would not work outside our country as “TKI” (: Tenaga Kerja Indonesia). Because when I read in newspaper usually the reason they become TKI because if they worked as a farmer, they would not get enough money to fulfil their daily need.
As I mention earlier, it is not a popular profession, I think because the pay is not worthy with what they have done. Their job needs a lot of energy because they work in ricefields not in an office. Farmers should have knowledge about plants, soil, and cultivating. It may sound easy but believe me it is not that easy. Farmer should be patient, hard worker, strong, healthy, diligent, and not give up easily.
This profession is very important in our society, they are our food provider. We should respect them by giving them well-paid. It is not like other profession is not important. They are important too, but farmer did not get a lot of attention, and people did not care about them. If they did not provide us with food, where we could get food? If we did not eat food, where we could get energy to do some work? It is like a life chain, where the farmers are the producer and we are the consumer. They are the source for us so we can produce too, what I mean we can do our job and produce something for our society. I mean, they provide us food, we eat it, then we get energy, after we have energy, we do our job, which is producing something for our society.
By giving them well-paid, it will attract many people to be a farmer. More farmers are better for us because it means that our food provider is more and more. We will not lack of food so we will not import food. And who knows our country could be a big producer of rice and vegetables, so we can export our food to other country. That will give us prosperity, hopefully.
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