21st Vision

Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.
-Aldous Huxley-

This is my 7th month in Japan – a restless country, unsociable people, and erotic culture, those are common impression against them. It is used to be a huge question in my head, for what sake I’m coming here; seeking wealth and honour? gaining knowledge yet experience? or just escaping away from my responsibilities.

Well, new life had started. And as expected, it’s never been easy to switch it from one country to another. Missing couple links of language, custom, habit, manner are just everyday stories. Being so lonely in a city of 5,847/km2 people density, Tokyo, is what I had to settle in. Every time I tried to talk in Japanese, they seemed to refuse to understand, I just don’t know why. Then If I pose a genuine idea, they would just turn it down politely without saying clearly : “It’s not common here dude, so It can’t be”.

Day to day, I’ve been convincing myself, what a great chance it would be. Many people go travelling abroad to fulfil their fantasy about a happy life in other corner of the globe, but such a rare chance to struggle a daily-life there. You got to work there, make money, control expense, collaborate with fellows, be part of citizen, meet good and bad people, get accustomed with neighbour, see doctor when you’re sick, get arrested if you break the law, etc. Yeah, so many things will happen, and so many times to take action then experience it, invaluable.

Indonesian people in my age are in hot of talking about different options in life. Some of them prefer working in a big company, providing trusted contract, high salary and bonus, as well as tons of facilities- no matter if the job meet their current qualification or not. Few of them keep their mind to desperately find a job or next-grade school that really fits their skill and interest. While little of them refuse to work under else’s name, and run a self-business to satisfy their freedom.

For me, choosing options is not about who is right or wrong, superior or inferior, strong-hearted or weak-belief. The most important thing is a commonly spoken word : contribution. How well you can contribute to your family, nation, or even world-society, depends on how well you undergo your role. And you don’t have to be as genius as Einstein, or as rich as Gates, to claim your contribution. Just perform your best in everyday’s task, then if everybody does, your country and society will just get better undoubtedly.

Personally, I’m dividing my life into 3 phase, it’s called 20-20-20. I just finished my basic study for 20 years, then for the next 20 years I’d improve my profession, seek wealth, run some business, then after that, in the last 20 years (refer to commonly productive age, until 60′s), I’d spend my life to fight against poverty, corrupted government and law, and other social issues that might be encountered. Of course, only Allah knows could it be 20-20-20 or even less.

My favourite is prophet Muhammad, who is a quick, smart learner since youth, then become a great trader in his 20′s, and finally in 40′s started to dedicate his entire life as a prophet and great leader to the bless of human mankind. My second favourite is Muhammad Yunus, founder of Greemen Bank. He is a professor of economic study, who -since his early 40′s- developed micro-credit into an important instrument in the struggle against poverty. In 2006, Nobel Committee awarded Grameen Bank and its founder, Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.”

So today I turned 21, still a long way to go, my friend. Would you step together with me, with best effort. Then we shall create best moments, best experiences, and best future, together.

Memori Masa Kuliah : Struggling for Life

Entah kenapa kepengen bikin semacam postingan berseri, tentang memori selama 4 taun kuliah di ITB. Ini yang pertama, semoga bermanfaat..

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Aku termasuk mahasiswa yang beruntung mendapatkan beasiswa dari Putera Sampoerna Foundation. Selain ngga usah pusing mikirin SPP n’ biaya kuliah lain, PSF juga rutin mengirimkan living allowance setiap bulan. Besarnya lumayan, mulai dari 500 ribu di awal tingkat 1, dan naik bertahap hingga 700 ribu di tahun terakhir.

Awalnya, berbekal 500 ribu, aku mulai menetapkan anggaran bulanan yang ketat. Makan sehari ngga boleh lebih dari 10 ribu, jadi sebulan habis 300 ribu buat makan thok. Berarti cuman ada 200 ribu sisa untuk beli kebutuhan sehari-hari, jajan, pulsa hape, nonton, main, de el el. Gile, ngga logis banget yah, bayangin aja 10 ribu sehari, paling cuma bisa makan 2 kali @ 5.000 buat siang dan malem. Jadi paginya aku cuman makan mie atau roti. Bahkan aku inget banget, pernah hampir kehabisan duit di akhir-akhir bulan, sampai beberapa hari aku siang malem cuma makan nasi+tahu+sayur @ 2.500. Ya Allah, tapi tiap kali makan kayaknya terasa nikmat banget. Mungkin baru kali itu aku merasakan syukur yang mendalam bahwa selama aku hidup, ga pernah aku kekurangan makanan. Tidak sedikit orang-orang di luar sana yang sehari-hari terpaksa makan nasi basi, nasi aking, bahkan makanan untuk ternak demi menyambung hidup. Aku pun bertekad selalu menyisihkan 2.5% uang sakuku untuk berzakat dan menunaikan hak mereka.

Mengerti

Hari ini aku belajar, tentang salah satu hal tersulit dalam menjalin hubungan : berusaha mengerti, sebelum dimengerti

Laki-laki punya kecenderungan untuk memaksakan kehendak. Laki-laki merasa hebat jika perempuan takluk, tunduk, dan menuruti keinginannya. Laki-laki merasa berwibawa jika semua yang dikatakannya, semua yang diperintahkannya, mendapati prioritas lebih tinggi dari apa yang perempuan utarakan, apa yang  perempuan pertimbangkan.

Laki-laki menganggap ia telah memberikan semua yang terbaik untuk perempuan, dan sebagai balasannya, perempuan harus memberikan yang terbaik untuknya. Perempuan harus mengamini kata-kata dan argumennya, bagaikan firman yang turun dari langit tanpa boleh diperdebatkan. Perempuan harus selalu bisa meluangkan waktu untuknya, karena apa lagi yang lebih penting di muka bumi ini ketimbang bersamanya.

Pemikiran tersebut tanpa disadari mendorong laki-laki sulit, bahkan tidak mau, mengerti perempuan. Boro-boro memahami pemikirannya. Tertarik mendengarkan pendapatnya pun tidak, ketika perempuan menunjukkan tanda-tanda yang berseberangan dengan keinginan laki-laki.

Berusaha mengerti memang sulit, sesulit menerima kekalahan. Kita belum sukses mengerti kemauannya, jika kita masih merasa menang dalam suatu perdebatan atau pertengkaran kecil. Mengerti adalah menginjak-injak keangkuhan diri kita, mengubur hidup-hidup emosi dan egoisme kita, bahkan melepaskan sejenak jubah harga diri kita. Walaupun ternyata mengerti itu semudah mengucapkan : “oke, kali ini memang kamu yang benar”

Mengerti adalah satu-satunya jalan untuk lebih dimengerti. Seperti menabung di bank, semakin banyak yang kita simpan, semakin banyak pula yang dapat kita ambil. Semakin banyak kita berusaha mengerti, semakin banyak pula kita akan lebih dimengerti olehnya.

Lumayan, Pernah Masuk Tivi :P

Wawancara eksklusif TVONE dengan Aisar

Hari ini temen-temen dari tim LSI Design Contest (yang sampai sekarang blum sempet kuposting laporannya, baru banner doang), diundang ke studio TVONE di acara Apa Kabar Indonesia bersama Indy Rahmawati. Berikut ini beberapa skrinsutnya

Bermimpilah..

Bermimpilah, maka Tuhan memeluk mimpi-mimpimu (Andrea Hirata)