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Have you seen my childhood?

Unless you’re born in a small town in East Java at the end of 1970s, went to the same kindergarten with me, please don’t try answering the question. You may continue singing, though.

Since most of my kindergarten friends are not active in social media network, I guess I am free to tell you my version of my own childhood story. If they appear to ratify, verify or accuse me of false story, the first thing they’ll encounter is my blank stare of, “Sorry, who are you again?” I don’t remember any one of them. At all.

What I do remember is the joyous, carefree life I had. Living in the early 1980s means being confined to one TV channel that started broadcasting at 4 p.m. Being faraway from the glitz of metropolitan madness means spending most of the time playing outside, or simply taking up extra curricular activities in school.

Thus, I spent most of my time playing with my elder sister. Sometimes we rode a bike together, tried to make our own kite that only flew from the front door to our house gate. Achievement? If you think 10-meter distance is one, thank you very much. There was also one time we played host to a Canadian family with a boy of my age, and he fitted the image of Western family we saw on mediocre TV series: blond.

Being raised in a family where education matters most, I also spent my time taking a few extra private lessons. Math, English, religious lessons, you name them, and none of which felt like a burden. Well, maybe when one of those teachers gave me invoice to give to my mother, which at that time I didn’t know what it was. Just some numbers. And due dates. And no idea that I would do the same when I was adult.

In school, I wasn’t one of those bright students, academic wise. Alright, did more than average, but what I remembered most is the time I spent outside the classroom. There was a kolintang class (ha! I bet you have to Google it to find out what it is!), which to date, I am still proud of having taken the course once.

And then there was boy scout.

Truth is, I’ve never been a fan of the boy scout. Morse code is too complex to remember, all those ropes that we have to tangle to form a life support system (is it too hyperbolic?), and the uniform I despise. Ugh. Guess back then I knew brown is not good for my complexion. Hello, style-freak.

But what I cherished most from boy scout is its outdoor activities. Yes, I experienced my first outdoor camp when I was in elementary school with other boy scout members. Still recalled the first time I encountered paraffin and its use to prevent us from hunger, how to set up tent, how to stay up late at night just to chit chat with friends (nobody told us it is a bad habit), and queueing for taking a bath. Or not at all.

At the end of the camp, we had to hike. It’s a very rare thing to do, but I knew I fell in love with hiking. Guess at that time I started developing my love for long walks.
Tired? No. The fresh, clean air, the sound of bird chirping and laughter from friends redeemed all the supposed hardship.

Then we reached the destination, where we were treated to beautiful views of waterfall. Of course, when you put kids in front of waterfall, they go crazy, and so did we. This was followed by photo session, the result of which we had to wait a week or two, or never if they were never being developed. Digital camera? What’s that?

Back to school, I decided not to pursue further level of boy scout. I am forever stuck to the curb level. In fact, I was glad that further in high school, I didn’t have to wear the brown uniform unlike my juniors.

The idea of boy scout was hardly existent in my life, until a few years later in the present time, I had to handle this film: Lima Elang (Five Eagles).

When I came across the film prior to be on board for it, I thought, “Alright, another children adventure film. A kid is forced to be friends those he initially did not want to be friend with, stuck in a situation he cannot get out of, rediscover his good behavior, change of heart, and everybody’s happy.”

Little did I know that after two screenings, I was in for a treat, way beyond my salary.

A treat of memory of those precious time I spent outdoor. A treat of beautiful views of nature as seen on big screen in lush cinematic color, and seeing those kids in their characters happily running around their camp area and spacious forest, I smiled throughout the film.

Arrogantly, I smiled because I’m glad I had those moments for real when I was a kid. Also I smiled, because those child actors clearly enjoy their time there, maybe because they need fresh, clean break, out of concrete jungle and traffic jam that bring nothing but the worst in us everyday.

Accuse, judge, and sue me for being a terrible salesman, because really, it’s hard not to smile in wishful thinking looking at the kids having a good time.

Then, I don’t have children on my own. Want to, but with who? I realize it is not fair to keep pestering them with our memory. I guess when we can, we need to make time to introduce them beyond the comfort of house, air-con building, and maybe internet. Oh wait, are you still reading?

Time to end this rambling note now. Let’s try to find our own spot of nature.

Because nature shapes our characters. That is where we can see our childhood, be it only in memory.

(the picture is courtesy of The Telegraph UK. To the kind souls uploading that, thanks! I owe you one)

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

Thanks for the greeting.

Alright, one more thing before IM2 starts cranking up again.

Here’s another attempt on WP after getting on not-so-friendly start a few years back.
Little did I know it has become my loss.

As you all know, WP has turned into the most sophisticated blogging tool with unbelievably user-friendly system that even illiterate men can blog. No kidding.

So, if all goes well, this shall be my permanent home. Until another invention comes along.

Cheers! 🙂

Naked and hairy.

mungkin ada yang berumah tangga seadanya beralas tikar dan koran.
mungkin ada yang terlelap di atas kasur berbusa beralaskan genangan air kolam.
mungkin ada yang terpaksa berhadapan langsung dengan raja singa dalam naungan langit malam.
mungkin ada yang berencana untuk angkat kaki dari dunia.

mungkin hidup berarti menghidupi lahir tanpa batin.
mungkin hidup adalah alat untuk melanjutkan eksistensi.
mungkin hidup terdiri atas alunan langkah di atas pasir yang tak pernah putih.
mungkin hidup akan sedikit jazzy dengan suara ella atau billie dalam alunan jobim.

mungkin saja aku terantuk dalam keteraturan, sedangkan
mungkin saja kamu terbuai dalam gelimang kepalsuan, padahal
mungkin saja kita semua sama lelahnya dan berkeringat darah, meskipun
mungkin saja mereka terjerembab dalam konsep yang terpatri dari dini.

mungkin ada begitu banyak pengharapan yang terurai dari secuil mimpi
mungkin ada begitu saja mimpi itu tanpa pernah disadari
mungkin ada begitu kita merebahkan penat diatas lembutnya harum bantal dan guling
mungkin ada hidup yang harus tersuapi.

harap maklum.
gue harus dan amat sangat wajib nulis postingan berikut dalam bahasa indonesia, karena menyangkut kecacatan pemakaian bahasa kita versus bahasa negeri tetangga yang entah kenapa ngaku nya dari rumpun yang sama, tapi kenyataannya … eerrr … mending baca dulu deh ya.

dan Az, sorry ye, kali ini elo harus agak-agak maklum! *sambil nyodorin sebungkus sampoerna buat bekep mulut*

jadi begini lho.
di hari minggu awal mei kemaren, setengah lusin pemuda ganteng yang terdiri dari gue, acay, donatus, dono, sus-bay ama hani, berbondong-bondong menuju tanah johor bahru di negeri seberang buat nonton pelem ‘tentang dia’.

setelah mengalami kemaluan besar-besaran gara-gara disuruh diem dalam bis ama si supir saking ributnya kami (ini juga masalah ama orang sini, ga tau yah kalo orang indonesia dah dikumpulin 3 orang lebih tuh bakal bacot semua! – red.), tibalah kami di negeri tetangga yang ga disiplinnya membuat kami kangen kampung halaman. mirip abis!

nah, setelah puas makan kenyang bayar murah berikut jalan2, tibalah kami sampai di depan bioskop, dengan merelakan dono yang udah nonton pelem itu, jadi kepisah sendirian nonton guess who.

to cut the story short deh (excluding bau kaki plus nonton ama donatus yang berarti neraka dunia – red.), akhirnya tembang dari melly goeslaw mengalun mengiringi pembukaan pelem tentang dia.

kapan-kapan aja gue mo ceritain pelem jelek nan ancur ini, yang bikin gue mo nabok sutradara ama penulis skenarionya.
yang penting, bayangkan lah nonton pelem indonesia di malaysia tuh sama dengan menyaksikan pelem itu …

ber-subtitle bahasa melayu!

dan parahnya lagi, subtitle alias terjemahan ini yang bikin gue semakin memaki-maki pelem ini.
kalo emang itu bahasa slang kita yang perlu diterjemahin buat penonton malaysia, boleh-boleh aja dong, misalnya:

X: … dibilang pinter, masih pinteran elo juga!
(terjemahan: … dikatakan pandai, lebih pandai kau pula!)
Y: ember!
(terjemahan: memang!)

tapi bayangkan kalo ada teks seperti ini, waktu karakter yang bernama Rudi diajak ngomong:

X: aku ngga mau kamu pergi, Di
(terjemahan: aku tak mau kamu pergi, Rud)

eits, tapi itu belum seberapa yah.
menjelang akhir kehancuran pelem ini, ada satu dialog yang krusial banget buat cerita pelem, dan lebih baek diliat sendiri subtitlenya:

X: … dia sudah kabur dari rumah waktu masih muda
(terjemahan: … dia sudah pergi dari rumah ketika berusia 15 tahun) !!!!!

aduh tolong ye pakcik makcik yang bagian ngetik terjemahan! emang Didi Petet buka mulut bilang “liiiimmaaaaa belllaasss” ato “masssiihhhh mmuuddaaa” yah!
trus ukuran ‘masih muda’ emang lima belas taun yah, padahal jelas-jelas di layar lebar depan muka keliatan kalo anaknya juga masih es-de ato primary school!

tapi “untung”nya, tulisan terjemahan itu pada pake warna putih semua, jadi kita-kita ngga keganggu ama kalimat-kalimat sesat itu, tinggal penonton malaysia aja pada pusing bacanya.

malaysia emang bikin pusing! 😀

Yang pada nonton pelem Mean Girls pasti tau gimana ketololan cewek-cewek pinkie Regina and the gang yang tergabung di klab The Plastics ini, walaupun gue agak-agak lupa kata-kata persisnya gimana, yang jelas gue super ngakak waktu line yang jadi judul tulisan gue diatas ini diomongin! And telling the weather forecast by touching boobs is an another issue … Hihihihi!



Tapi disini yang mo gue omongin adalah betapa kadang-kadang kita suka ‘maksain’ yang namanya ramalan, intuisi, perasaan, atau simpel aja, sesuatu yang ga bisa dijelaskan dengan kata-kata dan tulisan, sesuatu yang lebih dari itu.



Please deh ah!



Jadi inget juga waktu majalah kampus gue dulu, The Ridge, buka lowongan internship, kalimat pembuka job advertisement nya adalah: “If a picture can paint a thousand word … So what? We’ve got that and more!” Hahahaha! After all, seribu kata memang ga banyak terutama buat orang-orang yang, meminjam istilah mas Wisa, kebetulan ditakdirkan punya kelebihan bacot wijaya! Lah kasian bener colleague gue yang nama belakangnya Wijaya juga, padahal dia pendiem …



Kembali ke masalah “perasaan” dan “intuisi” itu, berdasarkan artikel-artikel atau cerita-cerita yang pernah dibaca, memang semua orang punya kemampuan extra-sensory ability yang munculnya suka ngagetin alias ga diduga-duga. Misalnya nih, dalam keadaan kepepet kejebak di jurang, tau-tau aja kita bisa ngangkat batu gede, padahal sehari-hari buka saos botol baru aja musti pake acara jeduk-jeduk kepala di dapur! Atau misalnya yang lain lagi, waktu kita lagi konsentrasi ngerjain itung-itungan matematika logaritma (nah lho! Traumatic experience kalo dah yang satu ini), beberapa dari kita bisa tiba-tiba nemu rumusnya dan bisa ngerjain dengan lancar, others lazy-bums like me tinggal nyontek doang!



Akhirnya keluar juga kan kata itu? Konsentrasi. Fokus.



Kalo kita bener-bener musatin perhatian kita ke sesuatu yang jadi fokus utama otak, setelah ngerasa jenuh jutek butek itu bakal keluar something fresh from that continuous concentrating process, yang sekarang ini banyak disebut ‘pencerahan’. Efeknya? Jadi lega karena dalam hitungan beberapa saat, kita berasa jadi detektif partikelir gaya rentenir model-model Sherlock Holmes gitu lah!



Tapi apa ya musti selalu bener dugaan kita itu, murni dugaan ato asumsi doang yang sering di-cover up pake kata hipotesis?



Jawabannya, apa musti selalu bener? Kalaupun ngga bener, kita punya hak veto lho buat bilang, “Interpretasi gue seperti itu”, dan berdasar asas ngebaikin orang lain without hurting his/her feeling, ya udahlah diterima aja, ngikiknya dalam hati! Kikikikikikik!



Sebelum gue ngelantur lebih lanjut, dan sebelum elo semua mulai siap-siap bawa palu buat ngegetokin pala gue gara-gara postingan absurd ini, gue cuman mo bilang bahwa yang namanya belajar trying to read between the lines itu penting banget, karena itu bisa nambah kepedean dan kepekaan kita untuk menangkap maksud tersembunyi yang orang lain berusaha sampein ke kita. Sekali lagi, apakah semuanya nanti bener ato ngga, udah bukan jadi masalah lagi, yang penting we blurt out our opinion, that does matter most lho!



Dan ternyata, sixth sense ini memang eksis dalam diri kita semua, sodara sodari. Yang penting belajar dulu ngenalin diri kita, percaya ama kemampuan hati buat jujur ama perasaan diri sendiri, buang jauh-jauh segala rasa khawatir dan ketakutan yang ngga penting lainnya, sampai pada akhirnya keluarlah kata-kata yang bisa merubah hidup:

“The answer is YES to that un-popped-up question”



Let’s take a chance and ride!

— i was a humdrum person/leading a life apart/when love flew in through my window wide/and quickened my humdrum heart (Cole Porter, What is This Thing Called Love?) —