Shredding Paper

February 16, 2014 by Prisanti

Looking back, we couldn’t be more obvious. You, with that coffee and me with the paper. We should do more dancing that night. But I said it’s getting late and I had a pile of more paper to shred.

I thought you will stop me for taking the taxi, but you didn’t. You waved with those eyes. Those eyes that I couldn’t get off from mind.

You texted me later that night, asking me if I was available for Friday night. That was Saturday, and you’re already asked for next week agenda. But you said there will be this cool band performing and that was your favorite Indie band. I couldn’t care more, I was busy shredding the paper. I said yes anyway and hit send.

I thought the conversation would be over but you’re still bug me with lot of questions, like could I stop myself for shredding the paper. I said I couldn’t and you didn’t care. Like how I didn’t care when you send me a photo of your collection of soda bottle caps. You said you’ve been collecting it since 4^th grade and I still couldn’t care more.

Many nights after, you still kept talking and I still stuck with those papers. Until I realized I really couldn’t get off of those eyes. You asked me whether you could come to accompany me shredding the paper. I mentioned a coffee shop near the 4th lanes, a delicious lava cake and a cup of coffee compliment for those coming after 9 PM. You picked me up and parked your bicycle at my house. You, out of nowhere, held my hand for the entire walk. And I let you.

We couldn’t be more obvious.

But we kept pretending that we didn’t know. Even after long conversation until 4 in the morning, even after that concert at Friday night, a dinner after and a movie the following night. Until one night after long walk at the center park you said you couldn’t get off the image of me shredding the paper. And I said I couldn’t get off of your eyes.

We agreed not to give it a name. We agreed we don’t have much time left. That day, we know we couldn’t last a day without each other. Many years after, I know it would be great to attend this melancholic concert. Your favorite band is jamming on stage, you held my hand for hours, and we know we’ll be attending some more years later.

That is why I said yes when you asked to accompany me to shred paper, for the rest of your life. And I let you.

Kami yang Menyangka

February 12, 2014 by Prisanti Leave a comment

Kami menyangka melihat dunia. Lewat layar-layar kecil yang mengudara.

Kami menyangka tahu perkara. Lewat satu dua kalimat pembuka.

Kami menyangka yang terbuka. Lewat refrain lagu tentang isu radikal.

Kami menyangka yang terdepan. Lewat artikel investasi, logam-logam mulia, surat reksadana, dan pengaturan finansial. Oh, juga surat-surat hutang.

Kami menyangka yang terhebat. Lewat checklist-checklist panjang dalam resume. Foto-foto penanda. Peta-peta berwarna. Konser-konser di bawah hujan.

Kami menyangka yang berbeda. Lewat kepedulian tentang diri kami, masa depan dunia, tentang pendapat-pendapat oposisi.

Kami hanya sedikit tentang cerita.

Halo, para pemuda 20-an. Dari sekian juta pertanyaan di dunia, yang mana yang ingin dipilih ketika bertemu?
Oh, rupanya yang itu-itu saja.

Selamat malam, selamat melukis peta dunia.

All Those Bad Things

January 6, 2014 by Prisanti 1 Comment

I have been an avid TV Series viewer. I have watched dozen of TV Series before. The one that is been cancelled, the one that took my breath away, or the one that bore you after 3 seasons (I am talking about you, Revenge). For me, there is few series that I like a lot. The one that entertained me for its brilliant lines, like How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, The Newsroom, etc. The one that makes me want to write about it because its depth and how interesting it is to be discussed. Sherlock, The Simpsons, and Game of Thrones are fitted for the criteria. And there is few that so undeniably beautiful and you can’t stop thinking about it. For me the first one is LOST and then this, Breaking Bad.

Okay, the premise of Breaking Bad is already interesting enough. A high school chemistry teacher turns drugs kingpin by cooking crystal methamphetamine (shortly meth) after he diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in order to provide for his family after he is gone. Partnered up with his junkie former student, they take on the ride to journey they have never expected before.

I haven’t watched any episodes of this drama series until the last month of 2013. The show itself already started 6 years ago at 2008 on AMC, gained strong fan base ever since and suddenly become everybody’s favorite TV show (including Barack Obama and Warren Buffet). It is like a snowball effect. Everybody is telling how good the show is, and new fans arise, trying to catch up with its latest episode. Breaking Bad aired its episode finale on September 2013. The mind blowing fact here, the show has 62 episodes. Try to guess the 62nd element on periodic table. It is Samarium, which is essential in the treatment of bone pain with lung cancer.

If you asked me what one thing that makes such phenomenon, you can read here. The article pretty much listed all possible answers on why people love Breaking Bad. But for me, it is more than that.

Honestly, I can’t even define it. I don’t have any resembles with any character on the show. I even don’t know any of the cast before (I end up watching all interview of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul on YouTube after finishing the series, from Kimmel to Fallon, Leno to O’Brien). I even barely know who Vince Gilligan is (but surely excited to wait his next work). At the end of season 1, we know that the series is going to be a good show. It is funny and brutal at the same time. It teaches us how mercury fulminate can blows up a room and how you can dissolve a body with sulfuric acid (which turned out to be busted on Mythbuster special episode of Breaking Bad, but we all forgive it). Turns out, Breaking Bad catches me off guard on how the show can be so menacingly dark and, like the blue meth Walt and Jesse cook, addicting.

Yours

October 12, 2013 by Prisanti Leave a comment

…and yeah the social media. I am not an avid user of social media, but I find it a useful tool to everyday life. If you use it wisely. Ever heard this sentence?

“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

FYI, it is actually a quote from Dave Ramsey on one of his financial book.

Other opinion about the vast grow of social media is people trying too hard to show the world how interesting their life is. They take picture about the food they eat, telling people what movie they watch, they show map of the place they are at or a place they visit at holiday, etc. When I was 22, I might be judgmental about these kind of stuff. Now, I learned about seeing it on a much much bigger picture than I already saw.

Life is interesting.

Life should be interesting.

If your life is boring enough to live up, it is your problem. And if your life is so exciting to live up, you should be thankful. It is a choice to share it with the rest of people or keeping it by yourself. It is none of your problem, to give a damn with other people’s choices.

Like I said so many times, what you see is still the half of the story.

Para Penghapus Sejarah

October 6, 2013 by Prisanti Leave a comment

Ketika senja tiba dan matahari mulai terlahap kegelapan malam, sesosok mahkluk menyelinap di antaranya. Ia menapak di tanah, tidak seperti para peri yang memanfaatkan sayap mereka yang berkilau.

Ia mendatangi setiap rumah dan membisikkan sebuah cerita bohong tentang masa lalu. Ia membisikkan kata-kata itu setiap harinya sampai penduduk desa lupa akan cerita yang benar-benar terjadi. Mengabur bersamaan dengan datangnya fajar, tertinggal lewat asap-asap yang menguap dari telinga mereka. Para penghapus sejarah membawa asap-asap tersebut, meniupkannya ke lubang-lubang tanah di hutan atau palung-palung terdalam lautan.

Dan ketika matahari mulai meninggi, tidak ada yang tahu akan apa yang terjadi di masa lalu. Hanya gores-gores samar tentang cerita baru yang ditulis terbalik. Tentang pahlawan-pahlawan yang tidak berjasa, yang menyelinap untuk merapat cahaya. Tentang kejadian yang tidak bermakna. Tentang semua ingatan yang tidak akan kembali.