the long obsession

Sorry for being a freak.

People know how I love Blink 182.

And I shed tears.

For almost 8 years, for the break up, for the incident, for the Warped Tour, for the new single and (soon) for the new album.

Cheers.

Everyone’s cross to bears the crown they wear on endless holiday.
Everyone raises kids in a world that changes life to a bitter game.
Everyone works and fights, stays up all night to celebrate the day.
And everyone lives to tell the tale of how we die alone some day.

Up All Night – Blink 182

Rainy July

It is funny how the life brings you to another level of life complexion. I don’t remember having a personal conversation with my friend questioning when will I get married or what color of kebaya I will wear.

Until last week.

I went to July Graduation, where all the heart breaks. Because certain people are leaving some behind, for better and good. Graduation always feels sad and exhausted, because even when you do nothing there’s certain emotion that sucks you up. Whether it’s sadness, satisfaction (or dissatisfaction), or maybe real happiness :)

Rain dropped hard, but the celebration became merrier. Congratulation is maybe just another shortcut for saying take care of yourself, this is going to be hard (yet fun), be strong. So, I went to hug one of the person I care about, since years ago. His name is Zulfikry—the odd cool guy. The charismatic one of a kind character.

How the number becomes smaller :P

One of the card that went unsent (I promise to give you the cards the next time we’ll meet)

I know we’ll still share the same laugh or another story. And I still remember that you’ll secure me the VIP invitation to your wedding day :)) Have a good graduation day, Zulfikry!

Hello, people.

Semua orang tahu rasanya kekurangan.

Tapi betapa sulitnya berkata cukup dan betapa mudahnya menginginkan lebih.

Every morning on my office’s pantry, I use to make a cup of tea, simply to live up the day. But there’s always  a new magic when you’re adding the chemicals. 3 spoons of sugar will taste different than adding 2 and a half spoon and then the half of the spoon. It’s like meeting a new person every day, there’s always a new drama, and a new perspective.

I don’t know what’s up with the life their having. But the sum of it, sometimes appear at the surface, no matter how good they covered it up.

As I grow up, I do think I see many faces of the world. Not as many as some people are (because I’ve never met an African or an Arabian nor sharing a snack with them). But the time when I get the chance to know someone, I’ll try to appreciate it. By a little chat, a little laugh, and some thoughts sharing. Now, here I am. A fresh graduate.

I try to make friends with people who is also a fresh graduate, trying to understand what they see in life, how their perspective are, how wise they see the world and finally, how well they know the word ‘enough’. I know out there, there are so many jobs that have bigger paid with way better benefit. But the one I’m having now is surely more than enough for me. Why saying that? Because with lack of experience and smaller brain than the others, what I can do right now is to be thankful. For the chance to step into this world, for the opportunity to learn about life itself. The outside world is crazy, as well as a lot of people who always wanting more than what they’re having. What’s up with the moral, if you’re just after the salary? Where’s the eagerness to learn, if you’re just after the pride? Yes, I do know nothing but I’m here to understand. After all, I’m not the only one living in this coalition of dust.

You’re just as precious as others. The beauty of the world, which made the tea magical. The tasteful chemicals.

Personally, I say thank you rather than hate you. This is another chance to know you guys, to understand the perspective. And when I’m done, I know I’ll be wiser. That is the way the Warrior of Light would definitely do.

Hello, people. Let me make you a pot of tea and just let the heart talk :)

childish

Let me tell you this. I’ll turn 24 this year. For my batch, I’m considered old because the common birth year for my batch is 1988 or 1989 (or some who brilliantly epic friend who’s born on 1990), while my birth year is 1987.  I’m old and maybe you’re not, but people sometimes still called me childish. Not just because my looks (oh yeah, sometimes). But I keep wondering what the word childish is all about?

People who is in relationship, define talking childishly to each other as the sign of being closer, the bond. Because when things like that happen, you believe that he/she is a keeper. Because you feel comfortable enough to do something you’ve been ashamed to do to others. Because somewhere in our silent times, we used to remembering the glory days when running still our favorite thing to do. Longing for another day of being careless, for being stupid, to stop overthinking everything. We’re afraid of responsibility.

I used to define a bold line between being mature and being old, how the line became thinner each day. Because I’ve seen people (almost/beyond) at my age blaming the past, comparing each other life, and talking about the passion he/she can’t get because of “some condition”. The condition is just a reason, an easy way out of not blaming yourself for your own choices. Sorry to tell you this, for me they just become a spoiled brat. Because I do believe, if you have passion big enough, like love, passion will find a way.

And yes, I have a thousand comic books and still counting. I read One Piece and Naruto  on Mangastream each week, and I intended to complete my forgotten collection when I have enough money (on my own terms). I bought a bagpack (instead of a handbag) yesterday (which I’m so proud of). I wear flat shoes and still wearing no makeup everyday. And yes, don’t call me childish because I’m not wearing a heels. May age be a number because being mature is a state of mind not the way you look.

and I still enjoy a big bowl of ice cream while playing City of Wonder on Facebook

The Magnificent, Rizki Narindra

For every closed book, there’s another story written. Last  (last) Sunday, my friend Rizki just took off abroad, closed his book on Indonesia (for a while). Pursuing a degree and writing his story on the land of stranger. So as today, I want to write about one of my best friend, Rizki.

Rizki Narindra Muhammad adalah teman seperjuangan. Sama-sama LFM angkatan 2006. Dia foto dan saya video, dia ekslusif dengan anak fotonya, saya jarang nongkrong di LFM. Saya bahkan lupa bagaimana caranya bisa dekat dengan Rizki, tapi marilah memulainya dengan wisuda Juli 2007. Sama-sama menyelam di wisuda lebih dulu dari anak-anak 2006, membuat kami mempunyai mimpi yang sama: Pimpro Wisuda. Dari hasil ngobrol-ngobrol kita, something in us just clicked. Entah karena joke konyol atau gombalan-gombalan bangke yang sering kita ucap. Yang jelas, I knew I’ve just got a new best friend.

Saya merasa benar-benar dekat sama Rizki ketika Wisuda Oktober 2007, ketika kita sama-sama ‘jatuh’ dan jadi koordinator. Dia Fotografer, saya Sortir. Remember the phrase ‘your enemy is my best friend’? Pepatah itupun berlaku di kita, karena punya “musuh” yang sama, kita (& Putra) makin sering ngobrol dan berdirilah RLM. Perkumpulan rahasia yang hanya kita bertiga yang tahu kepanjangannya atau gambar benderanya, atau joke-joke nggak lucu yang cuma kita aja yang nganggep seru. Seperti joke Ganesha mini, keberadaan bunker di bawah kamar gelap yang isinya wisudawan yang protes kalo fotonya kasus, atau CCTV yang dipasang Rizki di Ruang Santai untuk mengawasi perkembangan gosip (ah, good old days). Dari situ, ternyata banyak hal-hal yang saya kagumi dari Rizki mungkin karena etos kerja Rizki dan keuletannya dalam bekerja. Sampai akhirnya di phone book HP saya, nama Rizki punya tambahan kata menjadi Rizki Idol.

Setelahnya, Rizki naik jadi fungs (Man. Doksos lagendaris dengan rekor LPJ tercepat, lancar kayak jalan tol). Dan tahun berikutnya, saya yang naik jadi fungs. Kita jadi jarang ngobrol tapi setiap ketemu pasti ngerasa ada aja yang pengen diomongin. Entah gosip konyol atau (lagi-lagi) joke-joke bego kayak joke rudal atau buldozer. Bahkan kita pernah pengen pulang ke rumah masing-masing lewat parkiran SR dan malah ngegosip sampe hampir sejam lebih sambil berdiri di sana :))

meet the idol

Ketika lulus, saya Oktober, Rizki April. Kami sempat tergabung di Asosiasi Jobseeker Indonesia alias PT Pengangguran Tbk :P (yang sekarang sudah bubar). Saya menetap di Cinere, Rizki terbang ke Milan. Kayaknya cepat banget waktu berlalu dari Rizki nge-sms untuk pegangan supaya gak kaget ketika ngabarin bahwa dia keterima S2 di Itali.  Sayangnya saya nggak bisa mengantar ke bandara di hari kepergian Rizki. But well yeah, I pretty much hate the airport and cemetery, the goodbye or the sentimental feeling is just too much to handle. So, I always avoided those two.

The thing is, I’ve seen people growing up, separating path, growing distance. And I hate to know that I’ve been on those kind of situation for several times, and maybe… right now. Tapi ketika malam-malam habis hujan Rizki menyapa saya di Whatsapp pakai nomor Itali, saya tahu saya masih akan tetap bisa cerita konyol atau ngegombalin cewe bareng Rizki. And I hope, for following years ahead. Lagian Rizki cuma bakal setahun di sana (katanya), sebelum dia menginvasi tempat-tempat lain untuk dikasih virus gombal :)) Yeah, I’m just 6 hours earlier to take my lunch, nah it’s not /that/ far. Jadi, saya dedikasikan tulisan ini buat Rizki Narindra Muhammad, one of the greatest people I know, one of my bestest friend (and also one of the most eligible bachelor out there ;P).


foto-foto random dari Itali yang suka disebar sama Rizki (yang kanan atas paling nyebelin :P)

Semoga mendapat banyak pelajaran hidup di sana, dan cepat-cepat meraih gelar M.Eng-nya (jadi di undangan nikahan nama lo tambah panjang :)) Semoga ketika balik lagi ke sini, bakal ada welcome party, soalnya farewell party-nya gagal kabeh. Yaah, pokoknya aing doakan maneh sukses, and live the dream well, live the day by thankful.