Furusato, From Journeys to The Heartland #WorldLiteracyDay

Tags

Dreams, Life Journal, Poetry, reflections, Sastra

September has come to an edge. It is a special month since everyone could celebrate the literacy day on September 8th. This is kind of a late post. Yet, it is better late than never really post this. I made this draft almost a month ago. How time flies. Now, it sounds like a farewell. Yet, it has been a long story to reflect upon. A quite long journey yet a quick one around Indonesia. Since I have never really had a chance to travel in my own country before, I could say, this is a blessing opportunity. Although, I do hope that in the next journey, there will be times to take my bapak and ibuk and mbak. That would be lovely, wouldn’t it?

All the way. Jogja-Bogor-Medan-Pekalongan-Jogja. Not in one time. So, it feels like back and forth. It started from Jogja and ended in Jogja. What did I learn? A lot. Yes. Until I have no idea where to start. But, here is a journey of my literacy days to share with. Because taking a journey, writing down our journey, and having a reflection upon it, means living up the whole journey. And, Anais Nin, said that we live our lives twice by writing down our journeys. Sometimes it is really hard to find time to write.

On the way to Bogor, it was my second time riding the train. And the first for me to try KRL. It reminds me on Taksaka Pagi, my first train to Jakarta during high school. I love the railway station. The railway lies upon the earth seems like a never ending way, recalling me for a journey of hope. And I learn truthfulness from people I met along the way. Mbak Dewi and Mas Mada and the little baby in the mommy’s tummy, thank you for treating us so well and even bought me doughnuts to bring back home when I had to ride the train back to Jogja all by my self. Thank you. May Allah rewards your goodness with more and more goodness. A lady on her 40s at Pasar Senen, thank you for reminding on my ibuk with your sacrifice to your child. The charging spot at the train station for giving me space to do my thesis while waiting for my train lols

In Bogor, I was with all the seniors attending a friend’s marriage. She is a good friend of mine. We are of the same age. Yet, she is my senior. Even if she is my senior in college, it never seems so. Because she is always humble and I am an egalitarian hehe, as if, I am to my juniors, I like to be treated as if we are at the same age with no seniority. She is ignorant yet caring at the same time. Well she is a good consultant for girly things. Since I am not the one who cares much about it before. I don’t really put make up which make people become astonished when they know this. I hate medicine and chemical things. I would probably never be able to swallow medicine if I never had typhoid in my life. I would rather use herbal and natural things rather than those medical and artificial things. I started using facial wash in my mid year of college because I learn that the composition of chemicals in regular soap isn’t good for face. One day last year, this girly consultant came to my home in such early morning. And she brought me some make up stuff to put on my face. Oh no. That day I was going to deliver a speech in front of the corporate executives and university stakeholders. See how much caring she is, and well how lucky is the young man who got the marry her. Their honeymoon picture in China is just adorable. Hey, anyway, starting last month I didn’t use facial wash or any kinds of artificial cream anymore hehe. I love the way I am. I will rethink again for only special time.

Medan, well it is a quick journey. I broke the record of having the lightest backpack with no luggage to survive for five days. It a quite serious program hehe. All things about accounting. And having to cope with all those administrative duties. I hope one day I could present my own piece.

What a life. I woke up in such early morning and when I got back it is already dark outside. It is interesting to know the harsh of life in such big city, the third biggest city in Indonesia. It is quite interesting to see the passenger-friendly facility to cross the roads. So, on the crossroads, you can find those buttons located on just below the traffic light to switch the timer for crossing the roads. I never find this facility in Jogja, I have found one in Walla Walla though. It is understandable because Medan is way more crowded and it seems like the vehicles never give you a stop for your way. For a new comer, it needs some adjustment.

For transportation, Medan has becak motor around the corner. But you know what, it is not recommended for your safety especially if you are alone or if you are new comer who is unfamiliar with the life there. People in Medan recommend that we use taxi instead. Choose Bluebird and they have the facility to book online for android users. The committee Universitas Sumatera Utara actually provides us with really big buses. Unfortunately, their schedules always run later than it is supposed to be. And for me and some other participants and committees, it is good to take a rest for tomorrow’s big day rather than spending the night for durian party and such. It was their hospitality but we decided to go back with taxi earlier. Luckily, as a youngest passenger, I always have a free ride, oops, free rider. Thank you Mr. Soni for your generosity, and for showing us how pen can really pay anything– he said that nowadays we could use pen to pay anything (means he gives us free check for the taxi fare so he borrowed my pen hehe).

There is an interesting fact about the way Medanese approach people. They are bold and approachable. So, there is a very lovely place called Merdeka walk. It is located on Jalan Merdeka where foodstalls are nicely set. Nelayan-an outdoor setting place where I could have my fave food (seafood) while enjoying the calmness atmosphere out of the roughness of the roads (escaping from the rough real roads and perhaps the rough roads of life hehe). So, they tend to bring to your tables and offer directly any kinds of food. How smart they are to market their products. They come to the customers. And the same thing happens when one day we had soto Medan in Sinar Pagi. Soto medan is very good indeed, better taste than the luxurious breakfast provided by the hotel, honestly. I am not a food enthusiast but since I stayed in one room with a food photographer I learn alot about culinary things as well.

Living in Japan on Track is the other gift of my literacy days. Occasionally Japan on Track is held in September as well. Learning Japanese and the corporate Japanese ways and cultures are very interesting. We had wonderful and beautiful teacher named Kato Sensei. And we had wonderful class and great friends. And I found some of my high school juniors. There is one who is four years younger than me. Oh well. Nobody believes in this fact. Me, neither. This shows how really an ancient I am. Anyway, I would recommend this program if you are passionate about knowing Japanese and the corporate culture. The learning environment, the shukudai (everyday homework), and the hilarious team are just hilarious for sure. Check for the info around June/July. This course is the beginning program and the selected candidates can have a three week internship in Toyota companies, and the two chosen students can have a visit to Toyota company in Japan.

I owed Kato sensei a Japanese letter and I would write one. I am kind of memorizing how to write one. Please help. But surely, the postcard is lovely. It has a picture of legendary Kyoto woman, Maiko. I learn interesting things about Maiko here:
http://thekyotoproject.org/english/japanese-beauty-maiko/
I didn’t have a message on it which I envy from other friends who got one from sensei. Because on the last day of the class, I had to come home directly to attend a funeral of my relative out of town. Thank you for this lovely post card and I hope to send one later on. Arigatou gozaimasu, Sensei 🙂

Last bust not least, dear readers check out this: http://www.projectlitearcy.com and support if you are a literacy geek. It is not my project I wish I had one but I had something else to do now. But I love this project and think it should be everyone’s project.

How is your literacy day? Be literate and be happy 🙂

Notes and Recordings:
I made some recordings which aren’t so good because I only use my mobile phone and I lost my voice–I literally am losing my voice since I am in the state of low immune having too much going on. I learn this from my friend who have my voice recorded for several good purposes making my little dream comes true (when I was little I want to be a voice over on TV or radios–what a dreamy wishful things). I recorded this almost a month ago. This is a riddle poetry. So, try to guess what the poetry is all about.

And here, Furusato, a Japanese folk song. I dedicated this to Kato sensei, all Japanese friends anywhere, and anyone who thinks of furusato. Kato sensei said that there is a different meaning between “furusato” and “shuusin”. Shuushin means the origin, where we come from, it has only a physical meaning. But, furusato, is a homeown and a heartland which makes us belong to somewhere giving the sense and emotion. I hope Yogyakarta is one of the furusato, a place where your heart belongs.

Last but not least, I had an important reminder which I would love to share for anyone’s reminder. Thank you for this reminder my true friends. If it feels like life becomes so heavy and it feels like you have to rush, you can find calmness in reciting this book. Another furusato, a home to always return because it is where the hearts belong. A place to find peace. http://houseofquran.com/
“Remember, only by the remambrance of Allah does the heart finds peace (rest)” (Al Quran). “Dari Ibnu Abbas, seseorang yang tidak ada Al Quran di dalam dirinya maka ia seperti rumah usang tua dan rusak” (al hadits, diriwayatkan oleh Tirmidzi).

Have a good rest. Hafe a good life.

Having this writing begun in the end of September, ended in the beginning of October.

In Randomness, Would We Share Goodness?

Tags

Life Journal, reflections

Dear all,
It has been a while since the last time I wrote here. My life rhythm has changed for some reasons. I work really hard to keep up the pace. Hopefully.

Especially, dear Pingit Ceria,

It has been almost half of the year we keep ‘wandering’ around, where have we gone? Are we wasting time for something wasteful? Whither then will we go?

It is quite dark outside. I am in the midst of a really ‘noisy’ convenience store in such early morning after fajr. The office is certainly closed until perhaps 8.30 or 9 am. So, I immersed myself in my unfinished stuff before it really opens. But, the broken speaker filled in the room with such broken voices that really destruct my peace of mind hehe. I let my headset save me and start living my own life.

Those questions in the opening are some thoughts that popped up in my mind. I fell asleep for few minutes and hoped that I was in a wonderland. But, the truth is I am all around with the multiple files of papers ready for editing and hundreds of pages of the annual reports that seem to be neverending to me. Hey I know I can end this beautifully, yes, really really soon, hopefully. Pray for me, please. Writing this random thought is kind of my runaway activity to a refreshing mind. I hope you guys don’t mind that I am writing this randomly. Just say, a dedication for those who think others, who are passionate about doing goodness, who teach me many things from handling emotions until realizing dreams. Especially for Monic, who decided to take  another journey and that we have missed you at the time of your flight. I feel bad for that. And soon, Nadia who will travel to another part of the world, the country of windmills. May this random be something I can only send you before leaving abroad hehe. Also, Ali, who is suddenly “trapped” in a bunch of people who perhaps haven’t really met, worked, or ever shared anything together before. Thank you all for having yourself an intention for this random thought yet on a way to a meaningful one. There isn’t much we can take so far. But, a learner is someone who could learn any simple thing in life as a lesson, right?

It all started from a random note I posted on facebook. Forgive my randomness. Here is my quite randomness:

Rolling the eyes from the screen to the stack of papers, switching from the microsoft word, microsoft excel, social media, blog, tumblr, and line. All over and over. A wandering mind again.

Sometimes good idea came across at this critical situation. And keep asking why life has come so dull lately. Bingo, I have just found a good idea, a good name for something fun like The Cheerful Pen School (Sekolah Pena Ceria). It could be better than that. “The Love Project”. The Love Project is an abbreviation of Literacy Outreach Initiative Project. Have you ever imagined reading stories to children in the mall, airport, shopping centers, or other public places? I think it would be fun! Anyone is interested in it? Anyone would like to join in the team and make it happen? Just drop me a message. Let’s discuss and act. At the end, I was stumbled upon and somehow moved by the visionary words of this CEO from the Hult Prize video of vision…

“…I imagine the world where there is no differentiation between social and business where doing good and doing well are things that we just do because it’s the right thing to do…” Ahmad Ashkar-CEO of Hult Prize

It was the first time in my life that I called for teammates randomly with a hope of finding the true sense of doing things, of dreaming things, of turning peculiar things into meaningful ones. I mean doing things because we want to do those things as we find that we could see the same meaning of a thing that we make it meaningful because we all think that things that are meaningful are little things that we start (ngomong apasih Isnak). The point is I want it to be that you really want to do it even if it is a little thing you do. There are so many people who are excited and appreciate my random thought. But the ones who really made the move are you hehe.

The old saying goes, a big leap starts from a little step. Those little steps, the milestones that we are taking on any ways, are what we have accomplished. I am so thankful for meeting you all. We haven’t accomplished anything. Yet, accomplishment means differently for different people. Learning itself is something to celebrate, to be thankful for. It perhaps sounds too dramatic or melancholy. Yet, I want to tell you that even if there hasn’t much we got, I am still thankful for having you shared your thoughts, feelings, spirit, values, and perhaps, it is going to be a long story to write about what we learnt from all the people we have meet along the way. Especially I learn how to cope with new people, and how hard to settle from zero with the fact that we have not known each other well. But, we made this decision to make something meaningful oh well can we say meaningful or perhaps meaningless? I did learn simple thing of how baper I am as you guys said. I am trying not to be baper here. But, whatever hehe.

Honestly I am at the stage of this emotional feeling that I feel like I could not go on, it is something too good to be true. Yet, I would not expect anything back anymore. Whatever we can do, just do. Wherever we are, we can do something. This time makes a dejavu feeling as well. It reminds me several years ago, I left home for the first time. I left an unfinished research project on junk food with my teammates, Sony and Hendri. I owed these two good friends with the fact I still kept all the data in my personal research book. Haha I even made that kind of book, a little green agenda book. It was hard to live a new life and our past at the same time. Indeed, we have gathered all the data and I made records in my personal research book. I really wish that we could continue working on the data even if it was not easy. But you know what, perhaps life isn’t as easy as I thought. We live in different life. We could not expect others. The only one to count is ourselves. Now, at this moment, I can say that am not the one who leave, instead, the first to be left (lebay mode on). I wouldn’t expect that we could make it together to realize the dreams because I really don’t know where all these are gonna take us. But, we can still do little by little. I can’t guarantee much but let it just flow. I am not sure if I am good at this field in Pingit. But, the simple thing I can do is to share what I have learnt with you. And I am so glad that I found people like you all. Thanks for being such inspirations to me. My beloved mentor, Bu Wulan said, there are just many important things in life, go find what is important for you, and go for it, really go for it. Besides, there is my favorite quote, ’What essential is invisible to the eye’, by Antoine de Saint Exupery. The essential thing of the fact that we might not be able to handle things together is to keep sharing and moving forward on our little steps in anyways we can. I know, there is something to be learned along the way, in any way we decided to take, either good or bad. And I will miss having people I can share with, people who can move me to do something meaningful. Thank you for being there. I hope that we can still share no matter where.

P.S.: Please write for people here while you are in the wonderland. Take us with your story! I will hopefully share my journey as well even if it sounds ordinary. I know you guys are great writers, I am a blog walker, hehe. I can’t wait to read your story hehe.

Just another random story,

Isna

Ella: Of Infinite Possibilites

Tags

Poetry, reflections

Wide-eyed in wonder,
Ella beholds the world.
“How old are you?”
her grandfather asks.
She holds up five fingers.
Ella traces her grandfather’s mosaic of wrinkles,
touching his face with those same five fingers.
Seeing tears form in her dark, dark eyes,
he asks: “Why so sad?”
“Because you are shrinking.”
“But I am not sad,” Grandfather replies.
“Why not?”
“Because you are growing.”

—Jacqueline Seewald

Source: Reader’s Digest (2015)

In solitude. Waiting for a good greeting. Anything, or nothing. My supervisor who has given a birth through caesar operation and my beloved lecturer who is currently sick. Please be well. Not because of me nor my thesis nor my work. But, please be well. Since you are loved and missed.

From The Blossoming Dreams to The Skies

Tags

Dreams, Life Journal, reflections

There was once a bud of flower
No one really knows what the flower would turn into
Would it be blue, yellow, red, or white
Could it be like the roses, orchids, or lilies
Even the flower itself never knows
It just blooms and grows
to welcome spring that comes–by and by
***
Hey you,
always know that you are a bud of flower–blooming inside of yourself 🙂

The purple orchids across my room has bloomed for few days. I keep looking across the window. Purple. So humble. But, it is too dark to take a picture right now. Remind me to take it in the morning.

***
I found a beautiful picture of the cherry blossom in my tumblr home. It is spring in Al-Quds, Palestine.

Source: Islamicthinking.tumblr.com

Mangunan, Imogiri

Do you see the skies up there? Untouchable, yes. Yet, challenging enough.

“As for he who gives and fears Allah and believes in the best reward, We will ease them toward ease.”(Al-Lail)

“And He found you lost and guided you…” (Ad-Dhuha)

“And within every hardship there is relief…” (Al-Inshirah)

Bahwa sesungguhnya usaha manusia beraneka ragam. Dan apakah Allah akan memberikan apa-apa yang diinginkan manusia? Sesungguhnya Dialah sebaik-sebaik perencana. (Disarikan dari An-Najm)

Life in the campus through the looking glasses

Photo: Guratri Jinggasari

We all have fears. We all have doubts. And sometimes we get caught in the middle without heads up in the clouds…
This time on the up is no guarantee. In God we place our trust.
And it’s ok to dream and it’s ok to have hope…
You gotta fight for you dreams, only you can make you release your future. You gotta fight for your dream, turn it to reality. It’s your life. This time I’m gonna use my head and use my mind and makes the difference.
This time I’m gonna use my head and use my mind with this trial.

(Dream by Saif Adam)

 Hey you, keep going. Keep believing–trusting in The Most Trusted One. Keep moving forward!