The Ghifari G. Files

Farewell

2011-09-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

It's been three years, give or take, since I first started this blog. Along the way, it recorded a journey, though 41 articles spanning 3 years is quite unimpressive. Now, there will not be any more post here, as a new blog has been constructed to carry on its mantel, feel free to visit at http://atghifari.wordpress.com .

In Defense of Gea

2011-08-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

The obituaries have been written, the inquisition has started. After two matches in a Manchester United jersey, questions, no, labels are already being handed out to the young Spaniard between the sticks, David De Gea. I admit, the way he lets those two goals in, against City and WBA was unimpressive. But we must remember, we are dealing with a 20 year old guy here. A guy who is still learning English, still acclimatizing to the Premier League. A guy who is still getting to grips with his back four and the fact that in England, bumping and jostling a goalkeeper is considered normal. Added to the mix is the expectation of replacing one of the best goalkeeper in the world, at the biggest club in the world. After reviewing all of that, then isn’t normal for him to make a few mistakes early in his career?

I can understand the jeers and sticks coming from the other fans. They would love the chance to undermine United at the slightest hint of weakness. Fans will remember Alan Hansen’s famous saying “You can’t win anything with kids” directed at United’s “Class of ’92”. Or the notion that Ronaldo is a one trick pony. Or “Park was signed to sell shirts”. Or one of my favorite “Come back when you’ve won 18”. I could go on and on and on here. Time and time again, we have proven them wrong, the class of 92 was a success, Ronaldo, well, need I say more? Park has come through for us time and time again.Wwe have came back to Anfield, bringing our 19th title. They, we don’t have to worry about. What I don’t get is how a Manchester United fan could go for a knee jerk reaction and say that he’s a bad goalkeeper. For me personally, you need at least 3-4 season to determine if a goalkeeper (‘cough’ Almunia’) is bad (‘cough’ crap). These times, it seems like fans have adopted a City like view to transfers and signings. All demand instant success, sparkling debuts, the works. If a goalkeeper wanted to be called a success, he has to make an “Aussie Rules” style save in his debut and hangs suspended in the air in a classic camera pose. Other than that he’s shite. Well, he is 20, he has the class, he is acclimatizing, he is bound to make mistakes, give him time, he will come good. I need not remind the United faithfuls that Evra was terrible in his debut against City, prompting Ferguson to haul him off after 45 minutes and saying the famous words “Mr Evra, now just watch and see what is English football. And learn”. He did alright in the coming years didn’t he?

Some have accepted the need for him to get used to his new surroundings, but pointed out that it’ll probably cost us points. Well, so far, he hasn’t cost us any point (or trophy). And for me, he looks decent enough. I mean, c’mon now, we are Manchester United, we always score, that is embedded in our DNA. Some people goes so far as too muddle his name with a certain Masimo Taibi. All I can say about that is wtf? De Gea has a much better pedigree and potential than Taibi. And remember, Taibi had a man of the match performance in his first league game, against Liverpool. Look what happened? A sparkling debut does not ensure one’s success in the game. What United fans need to do now is to persevere with him, give him the time he needs to get used to his surroundings. Yes, it might not be pretty in the short term, but we will reap the benefits in the long term. Let us turn a deaf ear upon those who castrate him. We all know he has got what it takes to be a success. We do not know what will happen in the future but he has won acclaims from too many people to not come good. Iker Casillas once said that this guy will “put us all out of our job” for Spain. He has three major trophies and one minor trophies already under his belt for God’s sake, and he’s still 20. I mean, other so called “top” clubs (‘cough’) has a (first team) squad that has only ever won one major trophy (City) or no major trophy (Arsenal) at all. What I find hilarious is people claiming they could’ve done a better job in goal. Have they won those trophies? We all know the answer to THAT particular question.

From A Bookworm's Point Of View. . .

2011-07-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

I remembered, I was seven at the time my uncle took me to Gramedia at TP. We went there to look for The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton (or more popularly known here as Lima Sekawan). I remembered, the buzz I got from seeing so many books in one place. I thought it to be a castle of some sorts. A place where tales are recorded for people to enjoy. The bookstore was truly a magnificent place to be for a little kid like me.

We didn’t have a lot of time that day, so me and my uncle went straight to the kids novels. I remembered I was a bit unhappy at that time, cause the novel that I wanted, The Famous Five : The Ghost Train was not available. As I trudged out to the entrance, my uncle stopped me. He told me to examined a pile of novels on a table. I did so half heartedly, still put out that the castle didn’t have the book I wanted. I grabbed the novel. What I saw first intrigued me. A kid wearing glasses flying on a broomstick through a gate while in the distance, loomed a three headed dog and some dark pine trees. I read the title “Harry Potter dan Batu Petuah” and skimmed the description on the back. My uncle, seeing that I was intrigued, promised to buy me the first and second book when I was eight. Citing that my mom wouldn’t have approved of me reading a novel that is “berat” in his own words. Well you can imagine what effects those words have on a little kid. I wanted the book right then and there! It took a bit of persuading to get me out of the bookstore without the book.

So I waited and waited, until finally, my birthday arrived. I knew beforehand that the book I wanted was gifted to me. I was itching to turn it’s pages, to interact with it’s words. But my mother, worried that the book might be unsuitable for me, or perhaps (and I strongly suspect this was the reason) wanted to find out why people were so hyped up about it, decided that she would read it first and then pass the judgment. I remembered, I was angry at the time, it was like someone had promised me a candy, and hadn’t given it to me. After two days of simmering anger, I finally got the book. Poof, all that anger melted away, replaced by the irrepressible sense of excitement.

And it lived up to it’s hype. After I finished the first one, I couldn’t wait to read the second one. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Harry, Ron and Hermione, I immediately cajoled my mother into buying me the second one. She didn’t buy into my act and I was forced to work my charms with my uncle and aunties. Fortunately, I succeeded in my quest and a few months later, accompanied Harry and Ron in their own quest to save Hermione and vanquish the dreaded Basilisk.

I must admit, now that I’ve thought about it, I don’t recall how I managed to obtain the third book. My best guess is that my parents bought that for me after another round of coaxing and pleading. And so I feared for Harry’s life as he faced The Prisoner of Azkaban, only to find a mouse was behind all this. And as with the previous books, I wanted to know what happened next, and I wanted to know right away. My parents, realizing the importance of Harry Potter in my eyes, reveled in their strong bargaining position and made a deal with me for the fourth book. I went through with the deal and experienced some pain (the shitty anesthesia didn’t work) and got my justly reward. I remembered ripping out it’s plastic container and turning it’s sweet, brown pages, one by one. I started at 2 in the afternoon and wouldn’t put it down until 9, when I turned the last page. The fourth one was a roller coaster ride for me, especially the hanging ending I hate the most. Lord Voldemort was back and he has Harry’s blood, he can now touch him without feeling the pain! And Fudge is ignoring the warnings, the magical world is doomed! I yearned for the next one, but it was not to be, for it hasn’t been released yet. So I had to be content with rereading those four books.

Then, right after my ninth birthday, I went to the states. . .

I remembered it clearly, The dark blue rectangle adorning banners everywhere. The image of Harry holding his wand aloft while looking back and the grayish, wispy smoke that formed the words “The Order Of The Phoenix”. I remembered wanting to camp in Borders, waiting until midnight to “be the first to get the new books”. We didn’t wait until midnight, but I played some games the Borders staff had designed for people who waited and won a pair of Harry Potter glasses. I remember I was very proud of my trophy, wearing it everywhere for the next couple days. The hardcover version was too expensive for my family to purchase, so I decided to be clever and borrow one from the city library. Sadly, I wasn’t the only one being clever. Other people had reserved those copies weeks in advance. So I had to wait a few days until my turn came. Because it was a new book, and it was very popular, I had a limit of two days to read and return it to the library. So I dug into my bed-cum-sofa and started reading. I remembered I managed to cram in four re-reads during the two days. Simply because I thought that the time afforded to me was too valuable to lose. I returned the book and finally bought a paperback copy for myself a few months later for the princely sum of $9.99.

Then I went back to Indonesia

The sixth book is without a doubt, the one with the coolest cover. The dark green, the eerie light is just fantastic. Which is why I was upset about the fact that my mother bought me the UK cover and not the US one. The UK cover, in my opinion (and there’s no way to deny it) sucks. It’s a picture of Harry and Dumbledore circled in flames ( I later connected those flames tho the Inferi scene). Anyway, before it came out, I was super excited. I heard that a major character was going to die. I had my guesses, but never in a million year would I suspect that Dumbledore was going to die. It was simply unreal. Dumbledore was supposed to protect Harry, he was supposed to be there when Harry needs him. And the fact that Slytherin’s locket was not there added insult to injury (thought I guessed it was Regulus who took it). And the ending was a sober one indeed.

A few years later. . .

At last, The Seventh One takes centre stage. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. I knew I had to have it. This was the final battle, this was the end. I bought the book as soon as it came out (pricey too, yikes). And my word, what a grand finale it was. Thought the Hallows plot feels a bit forced, it manages to dovetail nicely with the horcrux plot and provided readers with yet more mysteries to unravel. This book was the perfect way to end a Masterpiece. A masterpiece spanning two decades and 7 books. The genius behind the work, J.K Rowling’s name was spoken in the same breath as Tolkien’s and many other genius before her.

Which saddened me somewhat when I see people obsessed with their movies. When Indonesia had problems importing foreign movies, people took a stand, as one, and cried out for Harry Potter to be shown. They rushed it through the censoring process and gave the people what they want, which is good, it shows that if the public voice unite, we can change things. As for the movies, I for one, do not feel any love for Harry Potter movies. I feel that J.K Rowling’s words are what made the novels great, how she sculpted those characters is what gave power to her stories. And the way she lets us picture those characters uniquely, to create those scenes in our mind. That is what makes Harry Potter stand taller above the others. I feel that Hollywood has stripped us of that ability, of that freedom. Even now, when we picture Harry, our thoughts instantly turn to Daniel Radcliffe. Can we ever imagine Harry to be someone else? I’m not sure. I was neutral about the movies once, but I have disliked for their movies since the fourth one, since they cocked it up. I’m not sure if I’ll ever managed to love their movies, even after they split it up (which feels more like a marketing strategy). Maybe I am the last of a dying breed. But right now, while people here are delightfully, maybe even pompously proclaiming to the world that they have watched the last battle, I choose to stay at home and reread those treasured words. Do not misunderstand me, I am a fan, maybe to some extension, a hardcore fan. But I am a hardcore fan who values artistic beauty above all else, and for me, those artistic beauty are embodied in J.K Rowling’s books, and not the Screenwriter’s script. For me, the masterpiece will always be those seven books, the seven books that accompanied me from a scrawny kid, to a young adult. And for that, I thank you, J.K. Rowling

Motivasi Tersembunyi

2011-07-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

Saya ingat, sewaktu smp, pernah berbincang bincang dengan salah satu sahabat karib saya. Kami berbincang bincang soal pekerjaan. Yah, biasa lah, pembicaraan anak smp, sering terfokus pada hal hal materiil. Waktu itu, ia berkata pada saya “ Ghif, apapun yang kamu pilih, jangan masuk Studi Pembangunan, temannya bapakku ada yang masuk situ, sampai sekarang duitnya dikit terus, ga prospektif lowongan kerjanya”. Wah, sudah diultimatum gitu, mau tidak mau tertarik juga untuk mencari tau, apa sih Studi Pembangunan itu.

Setelah itu, saya bertanya kepada orang tua saya tentang Studi Pembangunan. Maklum, saya waktu itu SMP, belum mahir menggunakan internet dan semacamnya. Akhirnya setelah bertanya ke orangtua saya, saya mendapat gambaran yang lebih jelas tentang Studi Pembangunan. Wah, ternyata tidak buruk buruk amat. Malah ilmunya sangat menarik bagi saya. Dari pembicaraan singkat itu, muncul keinginan untuk mempelajari ilmu itu lebih dalam. Dan lucunya, akhirnya saya benar benar akan mempelajarinya bulan depan.

Saya juga ingat, ketika waktu itu bertanya kepada bapak saya “Pak, jurusan apa sih yang prospektif, buat dapat kerja”. Beliau menjawab “Wah, sebenarnya kerja itu ada dimana mana Ghif, ketika kita memikirkan orang lain, disitu ada kerjaan. Acapkali kita hanya memikirkan diri sendiri, sehingga tidak melihat peluang peluang tersebut. Serta, saat ini paradigma orang ketika melihat kerjaan itu dari berapa besar gajinya, padahal, seharusnya kerja itu kan ibadah, rezeki itu yang nanti datang sendiri, berapa jumlahnya ya terserah Allah memberinya ke kita berapa”. Setelah mendapat pesan tersebut, saya akhirnya berfikir, benar juga ya! Selama ini sepertinya berfikir, aku bisa kerja dimana, bisa dapet uang berapa nanti, sedangkan seharusnya sudah mulai berfikir, aku bisa mengajak orang buat kerja di sektor apa. Wah, setelah berfikir seperti ini, rasanya peluang kerja terbuka lebar di depan mata.
Namun, sampai saat ini masih banyak yang memilih jurusan berdasarkan prospek kerja. Sewaktu berbincang bincang dengan teman teman mengenai pilihan jurusan, saya sering mendengar kata kata “wah, ga prospektif disitu, disitu duitnya dikit, atau prospek kerja nya apa”

Yah, tidak salah sih memikirkan prospek kerja sebuah jurusan, toh dari jalur jalur itulah kita akan berkarya. Namun, saya ingat kata kata sepupu saya yang sedang kuliah di Bandung, ia pernah berkata “Kamu kuliah mau menuntut Ilmu atau kerja? Kalau kerja ya ga perlu masuk universitas yang bagus. Mencari uang disela kuliah itu boleh, seperti yang sekarang abang lakukan, buat bisnis sama teman teman. Tapi pada dasarnya, yang kita kejar sewaktu kuliah itu ya Ilmu, bukan prospek kerja”. Kata kata ini benar sekali. Ilmu itulah yang memanusiakan manusia, yang bisa memicu terjadinya mobilisasi vertical. Saat ini, mencari Ilmu lah yang paling penting.
Maka dari itu, yang saya kejar dari pengalaman kuliah ini hanya satu, saya jauh jauh pergi dari rumah untuk belajar di Jogja hanya untuk menuntut Ilmu. Dan saya yakin, bahwa rezeki dari Allah pasti akan terus datang, di bidang apapun saya berkarya.

Masihkah Ada Pendidikan Bagi si Miskin?

2011-07-16T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ada dua cerita menarik. . .

Pada tanggal 17 Mei, banyak dari teman teman saya yang sedang senang senangnya. Betapa tidak, pengumuman SNMPTN Jalur Undangan telah keluar, mereka yang selama tiga tahun telah berupaya keras belajar untuk mendapatkan nilai bagus akhirnya mendapatkan hasilnya. Gerbang Perguruan Tinggi Negeri terbuka lebar di depan mereka. Namun, tidak semua yang diterima bersenang hati.

Alkisah ada seorang siswa, dari sebuah pulau yang terletak di lepas pantai kota Surabaya. Siswa ini, Siswa salah satu SMA Negeri di Pamekasan ini telah berhasil lulus SNMPTN Undangan, diterima di Universitas Gadjah Mada jurusan Teknik Nuklir. Walaupun lulus, ia tidak senang. Malah ia sedih, sedih sekali. Ternyata, orang tuanya tidak dapat membayar uang spma yang diperlukan untuk masuk. Bayangkan, betapa sedih hati, jika Universitas yang diinginkan, yang didambakan, gagal diraih karena masalah uang. Bagaimana rasanya ketika uang menjadi penghalang untuk mewujudkan impian menjadi salah satu ahli nuklir di negeri ini.

Jadi, selama beberapa hari kedepan, bersedih lah siswa itu. Ketika mahasiswa mahasiswa baru UGM tengah mempersiapkan data data yang harus dipakai untuk daftar ulang, ia mengurungkan diri di kamarnya. Ia tahu, ia tidak punya uang untuk mendaftar, jadi untuk apa bersiap siap pergi kesana. Akhirnya, 31 Mei datang, seharusnya ia sudah berada di depan Grha Sabha Pramana, melihat puncak Gunung Merapi yang megah di kelilingi awan. Nyatanya, ia masih berada di pulau, mencoba melupakan mimpi untuk masuk Universitas yang diidamkan.

31 Mei, 1 Juni, 2 Juni, 3 Juni, 4 Juni, 6 Juni, 7 Juni. . .

Sudah genap seminggu berlalu sejak waktu pendaftaran ulang. Ia masih sedih dan murung, ia tidak mengikuti snmptn tulis karena sudah patah semangat. Orangtuanya pun tak sedih, mereka meminta tolong gurunya untuk datang membantu. Ketika gurunya melihat dia, wah, mengenaskan sekali keadaanya, layaknya orang yang sudah hilang semangat. Akhirnya, gurunya memberanikan diri untuk menghubungi pihak universitas, untuk mencari tahu apakah ada yang bisa mereka lakukan. Sang siswa pun diberitahukan bahwa gurunya akan berupaya menghubungi pihak UGM.

Yah, siapapun bakal pesimist pada saat itu, pendaftaran sudah ditutup seminggu yang lalu. Uang untuk mendaftar tidak punya, padahal, uang itu kan syarat? Bagaimana mungkin ia bisa masuk ke UGM? Ia pun tidak terlalu berharap dengan upaya gurunya.
Namun betapa salahnya dia, ternyata, permohonan gurunya didengar, UGM membuka pintu daftar ulang buat dia, dalam sms singkat dari Rektor UGM, dikatakan bahwa "Setiap mahasiswa yang diterima di UGM berbasiskan akademik, kalau di berasal dari keluarga miskin/tidak mampu. UGM akan mencarikan biaya kuliah dari berbagai sumber". Betapa fantastisnya efek pesan tersebut. Impian yang seolah olah sudah sirna dari pandangan kini muncul lagi. Ia pun diminta oleh pihak UGM untuk menyiapkan data data yang diperlukan untuk pendaftaran ulang. Setelah semua siap, ia pun berangkat ke Jogjakarta, seminggu setelah teman temannya, dan mendaftar ulang, seminggu setelah temannya. Saat ini, permohonan dia untuk penghapusan biaya kuliah sedang di review oleh Rektor, namun, ia sudah berstatus MABA Teknik Nuklir 2011. Dan ia tidak membayar sepeser pun untuk masuk ke sana.

Nah, cerita yang kedua ini saya alami ketika sedang berjalan kaki mengelilingi UGM. . .

Hari senin, 4 Juli 2011, saya dan bapak saya berjalan kaki mengitari UGM. Saya karena lagi ingin mengeksplorasi UGM, dan bapak saya karena sedang bernostalgia. Jadwal daftar ulang saya adalah 5 Juli 2011, sehingga saat itu, saya tenang tenang saja. Sampailah kami di gedung Direktorat Administrasi Akademis (DAA). Di gedung ini, nampak banyak orang yang sibuk keluar masuk. Karena penasaran, saya dekati kerumunan tersebut. Ternyata, kerumunan tersebut adalah orangtua mahasiswa yang sedang mendaftar-ulangkan anaknya. Akhirnya, saya masuk kedalam karena ingin tahu bagaimana proses daftar ulang itu berlangsung.

Sesampainya di counter, saya melihat ada seorang ibu yang sedang berbicara dengan nada panik ke panitia pendaftaran. Ternyata, ibu tersebut mempunyai anak yang sekolah di sebuah pondok pesantren. Anak tersebut diterima di UGM dan diharuskan membayar 5 juta. Ibu ini, sambil terisak isak, menceritakan keluh kesahnya. Ternyata, anak dia tidak mengetahui berapa penghasilannya yang sebenarnya. Sehingga ketika mengisi, asal saja memilih nominal. Ibu ini mengeluarkan surat miskin, surat penghasilan, serta surat kematian suaminya untuk mendukung permohonannya. Tidak lupa juga dikeluarkan surat keluarga yang menyatakan bahwa ia ibu 5 anak. Setelah diproses oleh panitia, akhirnya ditentukan, Ibu ini tidak perlu membayar untuk memasukkan anak nya ke UGM, bayangkan betapa senangnya Ibu ini mendengar hal itu. 5 juta yang tadinya terasa sangat berat bagi dia terhapus begitu saja. Saya pun ikut senang mendengar hal itu. Sambil melihat sekeliling, saya menyadari bahwa ibu itu bukanlah satu satunya orang yang meminta keringanan atau penghapusan, ada ratusan orang yang mengantre untuk mengurus itu. Melihat hal ini dengan mata kepala saya, dan melihat bagaimana UGM melayani merekalah yang meyakinkan saya bahwa UGM, sebagai salah satu PTN terbaik di negeri ini, memiliki commitment yang kuat untuk mencerdaskan bangsa, terlebih lagi jika mereka berasal dari keluarga yang tidak mampu. Jika mereka tidak peduli, tidak melihat dari sisi akademis, tidaklah mungkin anak yang telat seminggu dan tidak punya uang untuk mendaftar dapat belajar di UGM. Tidaklah mungkin teman teman yang saya temui di Gedung DAA itu bisa mendaftar ketika mereka tidak punya uang. Nyatanya, kami bersama sama mengerjakan tes TOEFL pada hari Rabu, 6 Juli 2011. Itulah bukti yang sangat nyata bahwa mereka telah diterima di Universitas Gadjah Mada. Mana mungkin mereka dapat tes jika belum diterima?

Saya yakin, UGM bukan satu satunya perguruan tinggi negeri yang peduli dengan siswa pintar yang kurang mampu. Saya yakin tidak mungkin calon mahasiswa yang sudah diterima di perguruan tinggi negeri ditolak hanya karena masalah keuangan. Sebagaimana yang telah dijamin oleh konstitusi kita, negara berkewajiban memberikan pendidikan kepada rakyat (kita berhak mendapatkannya). Namun, harus diingat, bahwa dimanapun kita berada, hak itu harus kita perjuangkan. UGM, ITB, UI dan PTN lainnya tidak dapat memerhatikan kita satu demi satu. Sebagai calon mahasiswa, kitalah yang harus memperjuangkan hak kita.

Alhamdulillah

2011-07-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillah.

Akhirnya dapat juga menembus UGM, setelah kecewa di seleksi pbs, akhirnya berkat kerja keras, bantuan teman teman dan doa, saya diterima di kampus kerakyatan, kampus tertua di negeri ini, dan arguably, kampus terbaik di negeri ini . Meski tidak diterima di pilihan pertama, entah kenapa, rasanya hati ini senang. Mungkin karena dari awal pilihan pertama sayayang sebenarnya adalah jurusan ini, meski saya terlambat menyadarinya. Alhamdulillah, dengan ini, mata saya dibukakan oleh Allah swt. Dan saya telah diberikan yang terbaik.

Senang? Tentu saja, Puas? Belum dong, masih belum berkarya.

Saya senang dapat mengikuti jejak orang tua saya di UGM, tapi tentu itu tidak cukup. Saya harus keluar dari bayang bayang mereka dan mulai aktif berkontribusi untuk negara ini.

Cemas, Was was? Wajar, mengingat minimnya pengalaman tinggal di luar kota tanpa orang tua. Namun, saya menyadari bahwa ini adalah fase yang harus saya lalui untuk berkembang, untuk bertambah dewasa. Sama seperti kupu kupu yang meninggalkan cocoon-nya untuk menjelajahi dunia, saya pergi, meninggalkan kehangatan dan kenyamanan rumah, untuk maju terus di dunia ini. This is my butterfly moment! ~~(okay that sounded gay)~~

Perjalan baru saja dimulai, dan seperti perjalanan perjalanan besar lainnya, perjalanan ini dimulai dari nol. Kota baru, suasana baru, teman teman baru. We'll see what happens on the road.

Muhammad Alif Timur Ghifari
Mahasiswa UGM Jurusan Ilmu Ekonomi 2011

About A Bike

2011-06-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

Lately, there’s been a craze in Surabaya. A craze in bikes. The craze was, in my opinion, fueled by two things. First, The City of Surabaya’s program, Car Free Day, which cleared a major road from cars for six hours on Sunday morning for public use. This makes it possible for people to come with their families on bikes, senior citizens to jog around, and people to generally have fun roaming around the road. Second is the Fixie craze, an economical bike which you can modify to your heart’s content to express yourself through the bike. Obviously, the freedom of expression is a big hit among the public. Who doesn’t want to express themselves? The funny thing is, if you scrutinized them a bit, you’ll be surprised at what those bikes can tell you about their riders.

Why would anyone want this ?

As an avid biker since I was a wee lad, I’ve always enjoyed biking. I remember one time, when I was seven, my dad and I went to the city hall on our bikes to participate in a biking event. At some point during the race, we dropped out, due to exhaustion, my exhaustion to be exact. But that experience has always given me great pleasure, because it made me believe in myself, and my ability to get through challenges. When we started out at home that day, I have to admit I was reluctant to go through with it. I felt intimidated by the length of the journey, and for a little kid, those road seemed immense. I felt like we would never get to the starting point, that we would lose before the event starts. But, looking back, I guess it’s normal for people to have fears. What’s important is to break through those fears, conquer them, and never look back from then on.

These last few years, I haven’t been biking a lot. Some of that were due to lack of time, me being a good and diligent student (phoey). And some were due to laziness, on my part. These last couple days though, I haven’t really had anything to do at home. So instead of rotting in my couch watching reruns of Masterchef, I decided, on my own, to go biking again. That’s what I would like to say, but the truth is that at first, my dad had the initiatives. He was in town, so we decided to go in the afternoon, when the sun cooled down a bit.

Our means of ride weren’t flashy, we kind of shun that part of biking actually. We believe that for means of transportation, it’s not important what get’s you there, is that you get there that’s important. So we don’t do no flashy bikey stuff. Instead, my dad has a vintage bike. Those 1960’s bike you see on reruns of old movies, you know, the old ones that’s supposed to go with big brown helmets and googles. That kind of stuff

I on the other hand, is the proud owner of a sleek, doff black polygon. It’s in good shape, only had it for two years. It’s a hands-me-down from my dad, who won it in a raffles ticket, at a Kagama reunion. Kagama stands for Keluarga Alumni Gadjah Mada. Which made the situation ironic on so many different levels. But I'm not going into that today.

Ready for The Ride

So, we set off, and the thing about us, you see, is while we like the landmarks and the popular places as much as the next guy, we embrace the not so popular side even more. I love roaming around, without a destination, soaking up the surroundings while seeing the world. By roaming around, I remind myself of how lucky I am to be able to fulfill my needs, those basic ones, like good education, proper housing and food -which is the basic rights of a human being in my opinion- while other people may not be so lucky. In this materialistic driven environment, even the best of us gets carried away by the waves. That’s why it’s important to always keep two feet firmly on the ground. And I can’t think of many simpler ways to do so than bike around.

Magnificent, no?

Now, how many people have been here. Quite a lot, by my reckoning. And why wouldn’t i be. It’s the biggest mosque in this city, in the province even. It’s magnificently built, and it is simply jaw dropping. Going inside, makes you feel very small, makes us feel insignificant. Which is exactly what we are, insignificant. It’s a fantastic structure indeed, and it accomplishes its mission superbly

Up close and personal

But wait, how many people have been here? It’s not very far from the first place, I mean, you can see the roof of the mosque from here, it’s a couple minutes away from the mosque, and yet, I’m willing to bet none of the readers have been here. Yesterday was my first time going there as well, and I really enjoyed it. It may not be as magnificent as the great mosque, but this place is special in its own way. You can see boys playing their kites on the track here, and little girls wearing hijab, about six years old pushing her bike through the track to get home after her Qur’an lesson. It’s sights like these that are real eye openers. These kids, they don’t have much to smile about, so they take pleasure from the simplest stuff, and these are kids living in the rural areas, what about kids living in remote areas. What became of them?

Of course, exploring new places is not always a sobering experience, you can play around too. You can have fun. See sights you would never notice before. Feel the hustle and bustle of a city road. Listen to your wheels rotating over and over again in a secluded path. See the city life in all of its glories and shambles. You can trespass boundaries, jaywalk, park across a railroad track, you know, that kinds of stuff. With a bike, anything is possible :).

Are you kidding me?

You ain't the boss of me

And then, it was time to go home. But going home isn’t the end of the adventure, there are more paths to be explored, nooks and crannies to wander through, rare sights to be captured. Going home simply means preparing for another day of travel. Another day of adventures.

Let's Bike

2011-06-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

Let's Bike

First, pick what you want to achieve by biking, do you want to have fun, is it your means of exercising while looking at the views, do you want to have an adventure and explore the world, or is it simply your means of transport to get from one place to another, you choose.

Then, before setting off, get your gears ready. Your helmet, your water bottle, your kneepad, your glasses. Get them prepped. Check your wheels and brakes and make sure they are in tip top conditions. We don't want to have an accident on the road do we?

After prepping up, you are ready to set off into the world! Remember your goal. Now, pick a road to travel through to reach your goal. Do you want to take a shortcut, or the long way round? Are you going through your way, or the highway? Is your road paved, or a gravel. Is it a big, bustling road, or a small, remote one.

Now, while riding through your chosen road, remember to look around, soak up the scenery, be attentive to what goes around you. And you'll find many fascinating things you haven't seen before. Also, be adventurous, a little crazy even, roam around a bit, see the world in a new light, and the most important thing is to remember to have fun, because without the fun, biking wouldn't be the same.

Also, remember to be careful, it a big world out there, and not everyone is as friendly as you. So keep your wit about and as long as you don't ruffle anyone's feather, you should be fine and dandy.

And lastly, don't forget your goal, and keep in mind that your goal has a time limit stuck on it, so while you bike around, remember your goal. Achieve it, and have fun achieving it!

Biking, it's not an analogy, it's real!

Opportunity

2011-06-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hari ini, saya mendapatkan pelajaran yang sangat berharga, pelajaran tentang kesempatan, atau opportunity, begini ceritanya. . .

Sore tadi, saya diajak oleh bapak saya untuk menemaninya bertemu dengan seorang rekan. Mereka akan menggagas sebuah bisnis baru. Karena sedang tidak sibuk, saya setuju untuk ikut mendampingi.

Tempat rendezvous kami adalah sebuah warung kopi (warkop) di salah satu mal di kota buaya ini, sebut saja warkop “bintang”. Tempatnya nyaman serta terbuka, karena terletak pas di tengah mal, sehingga banyak orang yang berlalu lalang di sekitar warkop. Saya sampai disana sekitar jam 4 sore, dan bertemu dengan rekan bapak saya, sebut saja Pak X. Sekilas, Pak X terlihat sebagai seorang yang easygoing, jiwa muda enerjik yang terperangkap di tubuh yang tidak lagi muda. Dengan rambut putih yang mengkilat serta senyuman yang selalu merekah, susah untuk tidak menyukainya dengan segera. Kami berjabat tangan, lalu saya meninggalkan mereka untuk memesan kopi bagi semua. Sekembalinya saya ke meja, kedua orang itu tampak berdikusi dengan asik. Enggan mengganggu, saya menaruh kopi di meja tersebut, lalu memutuskan untuk duduk di meja sebelah. Untuk membunuh waktu, saya buka laptop yang saya bawa dan mulai browsing internet (kebetulan di situ ada wifi).

Setelah sepuluh menitan berselancar di dunia maya, saya melihat ke meja sebelah. Bapak saya dan Pak X masi sibuk berdiskusi. Tiba tiba, ada dua orang datang menghampiri meja mereka. Seorang lelaki dan seorang perempuan. Pakainya rapi, necis, bahkan terkesan modis. Yang perempuan, sebut saja dia Mbak Y (karena saya tidak tahu namanya) membawa sebuah kotak putih, kira kira sebesar novel novel paperback. Ia membukanya dan menunjukkan kumpulan coklat dilapisi vanilla dan menawarkannya kepada kami, dan disinilah hal yang menarik itu terjadi, akan saya coba ulas dialog di meja tersebut sesuai ingatan saya.

Mbak Y: Bapak, mau coba chocolate chocolate ini Pak, mungkin buat Ibu dirumah, atau buat anak anaknya Pak?

Pak X: Oh mbak, makasih, saya udah bosen makan chocolate terus (sambil berpaling ke bapak saya) Saya juga ada usaha cocoa pak di kota J Pak, kerja sama sama pemerintah setempat buat bikin cocoa kualitas super, jadi saya sampe bosen makan chocolate.

Pak X: (berpikir sejenak, lalu memandang kembali mbak Y) Mbak, itu chocolate you bahannya you ambil dari mana, dari pabrik lokal atau jakarta atau gimana.

Mbak Y: Oh, ini dari sekitar sini saja, tapi kualitasnya terjamin Pak.

Pak X: Hmm, I yakin, produk you itu masak cocoa nya pake minyak nabati, ga bagus itu, kalau produk I masaknya pake lemak cocoa itu sendiri, kualitasnya jauh lebih bagus, you mau kerjasama sama I, nanti I masok chocolatenya ke you. Gimana?

Mbak Y: Oh gitu Pak, iya, kedengarannya menarik Pak, boleh deh.

Selanjutnya mereka bertukar nomer telepon dan Pak X berjanji akan mem-follow up.

Hal yang mau saya garis bawahi adalah, saya kagum dengan naluri bisnis Pak Y, mungkin orang lainnya, ketika ditawari, bahkan terkesan ditodong dengan chocolate dalam situasi, akan menolak dengan halus, atau mungkin tidak terlalu halus. Namun ia, ketika sedang berdiskusi asik dengan rekan nya tentang hal yang jauh berbeda. Ia dapat mengubah situasi yang semula tidak mengenakkan itu menjadi kesempatan yang menguntungkan bagi dirinya. Jujur saya sendiri, kalau ditawari hal semacam itu, mungkin akan melayangkan senyum setengah hati sambil menolak dengan sopan. Tapi ia dapat melihat kesempatan yang ada dalam situasi seperti ini, dan dapat menguak peluang itu dengan cepat. Pada akhirnya, ia tidak mengeluarkan uang untuk membeli chocolate, tapi ia dapat membuat si penjual coklat tersebut, yaitu Mbak Y, untuk mengeluarkan uang demi membeli chocolatenya.

Sambil duduk di depan laptop, merenungi kejadian yang baru saja terjadi, saya merasa, bahwa hal seperti itu, uniknya merupakan cerminan akan kehidupan kita. Kadang, kesempatan kesempatan, atau windows of opportunity, datang dari tempat yang tidak disangka sangka. Kadang ia tidak terlihat sama sekali, sehingga dibutuhkan naluri yang tajam untuk membuka mata kita agar dapat melihat kesempatan itu, atau mungkin perlu dibukakan Allah :). Naluri yang tajam itu menurut saya adalah sesuatu yang bisa didapat dengan banyak berlatih, tidak mesti generic. Berlatih berfikir kritis, thinking out of the box, berlatih melihat keadaan secara luas dan terbuka, latihan untuk melihat kemungkinan kemungkinan, latihan untuk selalu berfikir positif. Latihan latihan itulah yang kita, sebagai manusia, harus selalu lakukan. Kita latih diri kita untuk melihat semua peluang yang ada, semua pintu yang dapat dipilih, dapat dimasuki, agar kita dapat berkarya dengan baik. Jangan terpaku pada satu pilihan saja, sehingga kita tidak melihat kesempatan kesempatan di pilihan lain, hidup kita ini relatif pendek, dan semua kesempatan itu ada batas waktunya.

Sweet Devil

2011-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

As my lips touch the glass,
And taste those silky sweet nectar,
Poison like, a brimful of vice,
Contrasting taste, so very rare,
As conversations flew back and forth,
I noted eyes falling upon us,
Bemused, I toyed with your idea,
Of how to judge and how to act.
And it seemed inevitable,
That I too shall commit, shall falter

Twas not to be though, for the moment was short lived,
And as I lay there, it crossed my mind,
What was in the glass, that I had sipped

Ode To Joy

2011-04-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

As these fingers stroke the keys,
I wonder, what is it that evades me,
Seems like things have gone awry,
And while I'm not the best of fixers,
I shall mend it, with these broken fingers.

Writer's Block

2011-04-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

Lately, it's been very hard for me to write stuff. It's not the ideas that are lacking, believe me, there are lots of ideas floating around in my head, but the follow up isn't there, which is a big big problem. I'm stumped between writing short, useless notes and take it step by step from there or writing a major article with a friend (yeah, you).

But I guess, with this article, I am writing a short, useless note. . .

ABBA - Our Last Summer

2010-11-22T02:14:00.000-08:00

Our Last Summer
ABBA

The summer air was soft and warm
The feeling right, the Paris night
Did its best to please us
And strolling down the Elysee
We had a drink in each cafe
And you
You talked of politics, philosophy and I
Smiled like Mona Lisa
We had our chance
It was a fine and true romance

I can still recall our last summer
I still see it all
Walks along the Seine, laughing in the rain
Our last summer
Memories that remain

We made our way along the river
And we sat down in the grass
By the Eiffel tower
I was so happy we had met
It was the age of no regret
Oh yes
Those crazy years, that was the time
Of the flower-power
But underneath we had a fear of flying
Of getting old, a fear of slowly dying
We took the chance
Like we were dancing our last dance

I can still recall our last summer
I still see it all
In the tourist jam, round the Notre Dame
Our last summer
Walking hand in hand

Paris restaurants
Our last summer
Morning croissants
Living for the day, worries far away
Our last summer
We would laugh and play

And now you're working in a bank
The family man, a football fan
And your name is Harry
How dull it seems
Yet you're the hero of my dreams?

I can still recall our last summer
I still see it all
Walks along the Seine, laughing in the rain
Our last summer
Memories that remain
I can still recall our last summer
I still see it all
In the tourist jam, round the Notre Dame
Our last summer
Walking hand in hand
Paris restaurants
Our last summer
Morning croissants
We were living for the day, worries far away

No time for that now

One Day, I Will Look Upon This List And Shed A Tear

2010-11-21T08:11:00.000-08:00

So after I heard that session, I decided to write down my dreams. . .
I have fulfilled a couple since that time. . .
And I believe, that one day, I will look upon this list and shed a tear, proud to have accomplished all of it.

1. Study abroad
2. Get a scholarship
3. Own a DSLR
4. Travel around the world
5. See Manchester United play at Old Trafford
6. Buy a house with my own money
7. Study at UGM, ITB, or UI
~~8. Move up into the twelfth grade~~
9. Stay in a villa overlooking the Mediterranean
10. Write a book
11. Have a book published
~~12. Learn to drive a car~~
~~13. Drive a car to Malang~~
~~14. Drive a car to Jakarta~~
15. Drive a car in the streets of London
16. Go on a trip around Europe
17. Dine in the Eiffel Tower
18. Buy my parents a house
19. Ride a racehorse
20. Learn archery
21. Meet Emma Watson
22. Drive a Toyota Avalon
24. Pass UNAS distinguishably
25. Own a flat in Barcelona
26. Go on a Journey of Self Discovery
27. Go see the Sakura Blossoms festival in Washington
~~28. Go visit the downunder~~
29. Enjoy a sunset at Ku De Taby myself
~~30. Learn how to surf~~
31. Run in a marathon
32. Score a wondergoal
33. Compose a mixtape
34. Learn to speak French fluently
35. Learn to speak Latin
36. See the great barrier reef
37. Sail from Indonesia to Australia in a sailboat
~~38. Participate in A JetSki race~~
39. Keep a Peregrine Falcon as a pet
40. Learn to play golf
41. Pilot an aircraft
42. Parachute from a Hercules
43. Go to the Fountain of The Four Rivers
44. Run with a soccer ball through the streets of Rio
45. Get 100 on a Chemistry test
46. Go whitewater rafting with mates
47. Walk on fire
48. Smashed a volleyball into the opposition field
49. Park a chopper
50. Learn to use a gun
51. Have an article published by The Jakarta Post
52. Stand in Times Square on New Year's Eve
53. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
54. Build a Mosque
55. Go on a cross country trip
56. Own a boat
57. Go on the Hajj
58. Write an Autobiography
~~59. Record a short movie~~
60. Buy Macbook
61. Design an object
62. Win a photography competition
63. Go to Harvard
64. Own a small cottage on the hillside in Sweden
65. Go skiing in the Alps
66. Go to Kathmandu
67. Get a picture published by Nat Geo
68. Own a VW
69. Go to Egypt
70. Own a library
71. Visit the Mary Riley Styles Public Library
72. Own a small business
73. Be an inspiration to other people
74. Work Pro Bono
75. Go to Antartica
76. Enter an igloo
77. Have a picnic in the Swedish hillside
78. Go to Parma
79. See the Panama Canal
80. Graduate with an IP of 3.5 or more
81. Visit Tara, Ireland
82. Sight see in Venice
83. Go to Aceh
84. Climb a tree
85. Go to the Louvre
86. Create a website
~~87. Play soccer with a Premier League official ball~~
88. Visit Cambridge, Vassar, Radcliffe, Yale, Oxford
89. Pose in a shot while holding the leaning tower of Pisa
90. Go to the Coloseum
~~91. Own Pokemon Coloseum~~
92. Win an English competition
93. See Manchester United Vs Liverpool live
94. Memorize 1/30 of the Qur'an
95. Grab a hattrick in a game
96. Stand in a field while pouring
97. Chase a tornado
98. Watch an opera at the Opera House in Sidney
99. BASE jump
100. Fulfill all of the above.

An Afternoon To Remember

2010-11-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and stormy night when. . . Alright, so it wasn't dark nor stormy, it was sunny and clear when I first heard that story, that intriguing story.

So there I was, sitting snugly inside a Mosque by the name of An Nur. Dozing lightly, surrounded by my classmates. That day, we had an event, from morn till nightfall, we would spend the day praying, listening to speeches, reading the Quran, you know, the kinds of stuff AGBs would do. I was in the eleventh grade then, and I was a bit bored (I blame it on the devil). But then, a pair of guys walked in, carrying bags and papers, with hurried looks on their face. They were young, around 23-24. Anyway, they set up their laptops and started their presentation. It was a bit cheesy at first, choosing to start with some ice breaking comments, and I was in danger of falling asleep. But then, things started to look up. The presenter told us a story, about a guy. He was studying in Bogor when it happened (the guy, not the presenter, btw, I have decided to name the two guys the jocks, and the guy in the story as the motivator from now on, to simplify things).

So one day the motivator was listening to a speech by the a well known speaker and this is what the speaker said. .

Banyak orang yang memiliki mimpi, namun mimpinya itu akhirnya tetap menjadi impian dan khayalan belaka. Alasannya adalah karena mereka menuliskan mimpi-mimpi mereka di dalam ingatan saja. Padahal ingatan manusia itu terbatas. Akibatnya kebanyakan dari mereka itu lupa dengan mimpinya. Dan ketika ingat kembali, waktu mereka telah habis. Dan hanya penyesalan yang dirasa.

Ubah! Ubah cara pandang anda! Ubah bagaimana anda menuliskan mimpi-mimpi anda. Jangan tulis dalam ingatan anda yang terbatas, karena hal itu ibarat anda menulis di atas pasir. Ketika angin bertiup, hilanglah tulisan itu. Tuliskan secara nyata. Di atas kertas. Tuliskan mimpi-mimpi anda di atasnya. Tempatkan dimana anda akan sering melihatnya. Jika anda ragu... tulis saja 100 target yang ingin anda capai

Dan nanti anda akan lihat. Bagaimana luar biasanya Allah mewujudkan setiap mimpi-mimpi itu, jauh lebih luar biasa daripada yang bisa anda bayangkan... tuliskan segera, dan suatu hari yang akan anda lihat dari tulisan anda itu hanyalah coretan-coretan. Coretan karena anda telah mencapainya..

Upon hearing that, the motivator's spirit was aroused, he decided to write his dreams and stick it to the walls of his dorms. And he vowed to make them come true. . .

And now?

He has fulfilled his first hundred dreams, and is working his way through another hundred dreams list.

The Microphones - I Felt Your Shape

2010-11-17T03:17:00.000-08:00

I Felt Your Shape
The Microphones

I thought I felt your shape but I was wrong
Really all I felt was falsely strong
I held on tight and closed my eyes
It was dumb I had no sense of your size

It was dumb to hold so tight
But last night
On the birthday in the kitchen
My grip was loose my eyes were open

I felt your shape and heard you breathing
I felt the rise and fall of your chest
I felt your fall
Your winter snows
Your gusty blow
Your lava flow
I felt it all
Your starry night
Your lack of light
With limp arms I can feel most of you

I hung around your neck independently
And my loss was overwhelmed
By this new depth I don't think I ever felt

But I don't know
The nights are cold
And I remember warmth
I could have sworn I wasn't alone

There's no more hugging in the kitchen,

No more pats on the back in the hall.
No more chest on breasty chest behind the curtain.
No more lip on nape of neck in shower stall.
No more cosy gardens or craving curvy hips on my belly.

I'm giving up so I can be free from you.
I'm paying fees so I can sever ties from you.
Let craving call and beg and bawl, and face it tall.
Let my soft skin have more sweet soft air on me.
Let boulders drown.

Go Figure

Free Time

2010-11-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

These past few days, I was given a lot of free time at home.
Usually, I used those opportunities to study and enhance my knowledge, but lately, morale in my camp has hit an all time low (see older posts).
So I decided to do a little bit of reading, dusting off old books from my library and rereading them, and I have to say, I enjoyed the experience. It was fascinating, re-connecting old pathways, and with some books, understanding new concepts in the story that I didn't notice before. One of my favorite read was Kane and Abel, by Jeffrey Archer. The story, spanning for over 60 years, is simply, a masterpiece. A great rivalry between two men, born on the same day, but worlds apart. One an heir to one of Boston's Brahmin, the other, the lost son of a Polish Baron. Both struggling for success, their lives collided in a small office and that meeting would eventually be the catalyst for both of their success, and downfall. . . In short, a very great book, and a wonderful read.
While reading those old novels, I finally had the opportunity to enjoy myself again, it's been such a long time since I felt this way, and though I know that this will probably be considered a blip in my studying regime, right now, all I want to do, is milk the moment

Futur part 2

2010-11-05T00:09:00.000-07:00

This illness. . .

It has taken over my soul.
The negative feelings are gathering in.
Waiting for a slip in my defense, to pounce in.
Truly, the work of the devil itself.
The illness called Futur.

What shall I do to counter it, I know not. . .

Futur

2010-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

As I type these words down, half asleep, I wondered, why was I up so late.

There was simply no reason to do that

Lately, there's a sense of fatigue, affecting both mind and body

I feel empty, devoid of life

The feeling that you get when there's no tomorrow. . .

No fire at all inside this soul

Saya akhirnya mengerti

Saya sedang mengalami futur. . .

United 2 - 0 Tottenham

2010-10-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Finally, a win and a clean sheet.
And what's more, no defensive errors
When was the last time that happened?
These last few weeks, I've been treated to an error prone defense so often, that every time the opposition brings the ball over the halfway line, I started to fear the worst.

But yesterday, the back four held firm, a rare occurrence, and put on a solid performance.
Each of them deserved a special praise.
Rafael, for keeping Bale in his pockets all day long, limiting his crossing chances, while putting extra pressure on the Tottenham defense with mazy runs.
Ferdinand for standing in front of VDS -who also acrobatically saved a fierce Luca Modric shot- like a rock.
Vidic for the great goal, sneaking in front of Assou-Ekotto to head in a rare Nani free kick.
And Evra for a tireless, workmanlike display that kept Tottenham at bay.

Nani also deserved praise for the way he took the free kick, putting it straight through the heart of Tottenham's defense.
And his goal, though bizarre, is perfectly legitimate. True, he handled the ball, but Ref played advantage and never actually blown the whistle for a free kick.
Gomes, probably already thinking about a quick counter, gave himself a free kick. Put the ball down, and took a few steps back.
Nani, picking himself up, thought ahead, got to the ball, glanced sheepishly at the Ref, who shrugged and motioned "play on".
He then put it in the empty net.

Not the best goal you'll ever see, but a goal nonetheless, and one that put the game to bed.
So, all in all, a great game. And a vital 3 points taken in the bag.

School Of . . .

2010-10-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

I had a dream. . .

It was very, err, amusing. . .

In my dream, I was driving my way through a forest, well, not exactly a forest, more like a park.
It was very green (duh), and not just any kind of green, vivid green too.
Then, out of nowhere, a building rose up, looks old, not ancient, just, old.
But somehow, just by seeing it, it brought me a sense of peace.Of comfort.

I'm not really sure why.

So I parked in the parking lot. Got out, and strode over to the building.
Heading for the doorway, I noticed a big, brass plaque carved on it's wall
School of . . .

Very amusing, because I had never had a dream about my future college. .

A sign from God? May be

My Reason

2010-10-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yah, setelah pencarian panjang dan cukup lama

Akhirnya saya sudah menemukan alasan yang tepat.

Alasan untuk berusaha.

Put it this way. . .

It's not only my life that I hold in my hand. . .

The Red Scouser

2010-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a wee young lad, barely 7, my uncle gave me a plastic case. Ahh, such an innocent item. I gazed at it in wonder, for I had no idea what it was. As my tiny hands opening the case, my mind worked into an overdrive, guessing what was inside the case . Little did I know that a small, doughnut like object nestled inside would have such a huge impact on my life for years to come.

My first look was a bit disappointing. Inside was something round and thin, with a gaping hole right in the middle of it. I didn't know what to make of it. I guess what attracted me was the color, blood red, shining ostentatiously. And with my limited reading skill, I could just barely make out the title. .

Manchester United : The Treble, Review of 1998/1999 season

Now, 9 years later, surveying from a country miles and miles away, my heart aches. As a boyhood fan, Manchester United has been my pride and joy. To be able to sit in Stretford End, cheering them on, soaking in the atmosphere of the Theatre of Dreams, would be a dream come true. And yet, United now looks completely different from the winning side that first enchanted me 9 years ago.

Back then, United played with purpose. I still remember clearly how Ryan Giggs scores his wondergoal against Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi Final replay, running past 5 defenders to then unnervingly slot it home with such ruthlessness. Or how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, coming on as a super sub 15 minutes before time scored not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 goals against Nottingham Forest in an 8-1 rout. And who can forget the way United, after conceding a goal in the first half, scored two goals at the death, to capture the UEFA Champions League Trophy. Sheringham, Solskjaer, Scholes, Giggs, Yorke, Cole, Beckham, Schmeichel, Keane, Irwin, Stam, Neville, Butt. Those names are legendary and shall be remembered forever.

Alas, time brings change, Manchester United is no longer as great as it had once been. There is potential to be great again, with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Rafael da Silva, Luis Almeida da Cunha, Antonio Valencia, Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda playing, oh, and of course, the scouser, Wayne Rooney. . .

These last few days, the papers have been screeching over Rooney's sulk. And there is definite air of shock over Old Trafford at his recent outburst. The explosive striker is usually known for his passion of the game, and his willingness to lead by example. And yet, here we are, on the verge of another wantaway saga. And unlike the previous one, it has a sense of malice to it.

As a fan, I feel angry, hurt, betrayed, that someone who has actually pledged his life for United chose to do something like this. But most of all, I felt sad, to know that Wayne Rooney, has finally become disillusioned with what I feel is The Greatest Club in the world.

Rooney's name has become entwined with that of Manchester United. So his refusal to sign a contract, and his accusation that United is not doing enough for him is saddening. And the prospect of him leaving the club feels like an end of an empire thing. Not that he's done a lot this season mind you, scoring a few goals and carrying the air of a wounded animal. A sure sign that problems off the pitch and injury has inflicted great damage.

The question is, what now for United. If Wayne Rooney decides to leave, will Manchester United be able to cope with it?

But I believe, that whatever happens, Manchester United will pull through, just like it always did. Players have come and go, and yet, the trophy cabinet is still expanding. Sir Alex Ferguson will see us through, and I am sure that pretty soon, all of us, as fans, will be able to see the light at the end of the\is dark, miserable tunnel.

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

2010-10-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Somewhere Only We Know
Keane

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

So if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
So why don't we go

This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?

Such a beautiful song. . .
The meaning so deep. .
Basically, it reminds me of my childhood
And how pure it was. .
How simple it was. .
Oh, such joy. .
In times like these, hearing this song. .
Reminds me of the past
And what I have to do to reach that place
Somewhere Only I Know. . .

Peace, Happiness, Solitude : A Guy's Search For Those Little Things In Life That Brightens It Up A Bit

2010-10-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

While writing Restart, I started asking myself this question

How did I survive so long without writing anything. . .

How did my life became so monotonous. . .

I guess, I was too busy with the real world, too busy chasing unimportant things, not to realize the things I really need the most. . .
I understand that, as human, we are fickle beings, and our wants and needs changes over time.
But I guess, over the year, these three things keeps cropping up. . .

Peace. . .

Solitude. . .

Happiness. . .

Oh, I'm not trying to change my current condition, I am simply am trying to gather those little pieces that I squandered a long time ago and just take a moment to thoroughly enjoy them. . .
Because, unconsciously, I have lived long enough without them. . .
Deep in my mind, I started to look for them.

And while I was writing an essay with my mate, it suddenly struck me. .

How long has it been since I had felt this happy. . .
How long has it been since peace engulfed me like this. . .

As a third year student, in Indonesia nonetheless, a lot of people are counting on me to succeed and excels. There is this constant pressure that keeps on magnifying. But hey, that's life, toughen up.

And yet, if you let it get to you, it'll eat you up. . .
I guess, I had realized it a few months ago
I started writing on Tumblr.
And yet, I didn't feel happy there. . .
Call me old fashioned, but I'd rather see people writing things than them reblogging unimportant pictures.
I guess that is just one of many things that defines who I am.

So I left Tumblr. And entered a month of hard work
Studying day and night
Well, not that extreme, but close.
Pushed myself

AGAIN

AND AGAIN

AND AGAIN

until finally, I could take no more. . .

I needed out

OUT

OUT

NOW

So I resorted to playing online games
On eRepublik
Making new friends. .
Fighting for my so called country
But it felt so fake. .
I didn't enjoy myself
I knew I needed a better solution than this
Luckily, I found it. . .
The things needed to brighten my days
It took me months to understand, a paper written, a lot of thinking, a month of self induced misery, but at last I can finally say.

I am happy. . .
I am at peace. . .
Et Il Est Bon

Restart

2010-10-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

After almost a year, I have decided to start writing again. . .
Why?
I'm not so sure, it just feels, compelling, to write again, like a giant magnet, slowly pulling me in.
And even if this is a poor substitute from my usual, self imposed standard, it feels refreshing just to write these words down. . .

It's finally time to restart.

-Alif Timur Ghifari is back-

Favorite Quotation (as of now)

2009-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

-There are three sides to every story, my side, your side, and the right side-

-Mengakui kesalahanmu, dan merasa bersalah atasnya, adalah dua hal yang berbeda-

-When somebody's mean to you, that means that they love you, they want to forget you, or both, you just got to bear with it buddy-

-Great ideas aren't accepted at their time-

-Lelaki menusuk dari depan, Perempuan menusuk dari belakang-

Finally

2009-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I finally am able to squeeze a little time to log in and check out my abandoned blog, hehe. How's everyone doing? These past few months has been, err, interesting, that's to say the least of it. Let me just summarize what has happened while I was gone from the blogging world:

Joined a new sub section
Got my first notebook (and it's a Macbook Pro, love it :D)
Turns single but unavailable
Got interested in my iPod again (yeah, I was bored with it a couple of months ago but now I just can't seem to part with it, hehe.)
Exploited limewire to it's deepest core, heheh :p
Got interested in The Greatest Football Club Ever, which is Manchester United :D, again (A couple months ago, I only followed them through espn.com, but now, I always watch their match, they rock :D)
Slowly learning how to turn a lover into a friend again :)
Made lotsa new enemies --"
Made lotsa new friends :)

And that pretty much sums up the past few months, haha.

And now I'm I'm kinda confused about what I should write next, hehe. See ya later I guess :)

New Posts Coming Soon

2009-08-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I last checked my blog, just wanna tell everyone that there will be new posts coming out in a little while, but for now, you'll just have to wait, cheers :p

FSN Memories

2009-04-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got back from the getaway that my classmates had in Batu. It was really fun, but that's another story :p

And now, here I am, at home, with nothing to do and nobody to talk to, and I was thinking, holidays are really quite fun when you're swamped with homework and stuff, but when you get to it, it could be really lonely sometimes -_-', wew. so, I decided to look at the telly to see if there were any good shows, and then, I saw that Animax was showing Fate Stay Night x) at 10:30, so I waited patiently to see that show. Today, they were airing Episode 3, the one where Shiro met Saber for the first time :D. So cool, anyway, it was really like taking a trip down memory lane. I remembered the first time I watched that show, it was when I was in the eight grade. I remember all the plots of the episodes, How Shiro was encircled by four gals, Rin, Saber, Ilya, and Sakura, and how Shiro and Saber's "friend" relationship turns into a romantic one, and how in the end, she finally gave up and confessed her love to him before she finally returns to her own time x), and even thought it's been a long time since I saw it, I can't forget the ending song of that show, cause it's really cool, especially the MV, where Saber is shown holding her excalibur while she's looking toward the plain, with the grass dancing and the clouds oh so peaceful, the song's called Anata ga Ita Mori and I've posted the lyrics underneath this. . .

Anata Ga Ita Mori

Fukai fukai mori no naka honoka kaoru itoshii
Hibi no omokage sagashite mireba fuini anata ga warau

Furete mitakute te o nobashi temo hakanaku chuu o mattano desu

Anata ni aitakute zutto aitakute zutto omou
Nemurenu yoru watari
Anata ga nokoshita hikari to kage no naka ni tsutsumarete

naiteiru

Dame na atashi o kogashi shizumu yuuhi to
Hadashi no mama ai no zangai o funde nijinda  aka

Furete miyouto te o kazashitara anata no koe ga shitano

"Aishiteru." imasara todokanu uta wa kaze ni saraware
Haruka kieteittayo
Sunadokei sora takaku tobashite mite mo nani mo ano hi no ne wa

hibikazu

Nido to wa sawarenai keshikitachi ga
Sarasara nagare dashite

"Kesenai." Fue sugita kuuki  
kasane sugita kioku to sono te mo sono kami mo
Anata ga nokoshita  
hikari to kage wa amari ni mo ooki sugiru no deshita.

Fukai fukai mori no naka de...


x)

How cows contribute to global warming

2009-04-19T00:48:00.002-07:00

Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, a scientific understanding began to emerge that an excessive accumulation of largely invisible pollutants, called greenhouse gases, was affecting the climate. These greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide emitted from human residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sources, were piling up above our heads, in the earth’s atmosphere. Think of the atmosphere as a blanket that helps to regulate the temperature of our planet, and the greenhouse gas buildup was affecting the blanket by thickening it and making the temperature of our planet warmer.

And greenhouse gas don’t only consist of carbon dioxide, there are others such as methane released form petroleum drilling, coal mining, rice farming, solid waste landfill sites, and yes, even from cattle belching.

Cattle Belching? Yep, the strange thing about greenhouse gases is the diversity of sources that emits them. A herd of cattle belching can be worse than a highway full of Hummers, and as we all know, a Hummer emits a lot of carbon dioxide. Livestock gas is very high in methane, which, like carbon dioxide, absorb heat radiating from the earth’s surface once it’s released into the atmosphere. Molecule for molecule, methane’s heat trapping power in the atmosphere is twenty-one times stronger than carbon dioxide. With 1.3 billion cows belching almost constantly around the world, it’s no surprise that methane released by livestock is one of the chief global source of the gas, according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). All in all, the average cow expels 600 liters of methane a day by belching, and what is belching anyway? well, it’s the process in which a cow, after chewing their cud, they regurgitate it, then rechew it, and all this gas comes out when they do that.

This facts present a dilemma for a lot of environmentalist, some wants to kill all the cows to at least slow down the global warming process and some wants to let them live and argues that they are not the source of the problem. What do you think?

My April Playlist a.k.a. Lovestruck

2009-04-19T00:48:00.001-07:00

Well, if you’re having a lovely april, then these are the songs for you :3

Lovestruck

1.Starstruck

-by Lady GaGa

2.Halo

-by Beyonce

3.Love Story

-by Taylor Swift

4.Our song

-by Taylor Swift

5.Lovegame

-by Lady GaGa

6.I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer

-by The Cardigans

7.Superhuman

-by Chris Brown

8.Kiss Me thru the Phone

-by Soulja Boy Tell ‘em

9.Miss Independent

-by Ne-Yo

10.Eh Eh (There’s nothing else I can say)

-by Lady GaGa

11.Crush

-by David Archuleta

12.Light On

-by David Cook

13.Summer Sunshine

-by The Corrs

14.Right Round

-by Flo Rida

enjoy :p

Relationship=Flowers

2009-04-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

Relationship are like flowers. . .

You’ve must be thinking, “what, is this guy crazy?” or something close to that, but actually, that statement is true. It may seem crazy at first, but if you look at it more closely and examine it from every angle, you’ll see the comparison.

For example, relationship are like flowers in a sense that you (and your partner) have to take care of them. Both of you have to channel your energies and love into that flower. Start by focusing on the roots first and work your way up. Why is it very important to focus on the roots?? Well, every now and then some disturbance, whether it’s a lazy wind, or a huge tornado, will come and threaten the very existence of the flower that you’ve raised. That is the law of nature and it is inevitable. Every flower will have that kind of problem sometimes. And when that time comes, the roots are the ones that could save (or damn) your flower. If your roots are weak, it’ll be pulled out of the ground by the fierce winds and your flower will surely die. But if your roots are strong, the flower will remain steady. Sure, the flower will be battered and bruised up, but it can still be saved.

Well, I’ve explained the importance of the roots, and now, I’ll explain what exactly is a “root”. The roots are the very foundation of your relationship. It is the feeling that the people in the relationship have for each other. If you really love the person with whom you’re having a relationship with, and he/she loves you back, then a beautiful flower will be produced, but if you didn’t give a %?$# about your relationship, then the roots will surely die and along with it, the flowers on top. That’s why relationship could only work when both parties set their differences aside and work together to raise the flower. Let say that one person stops caring for the flower, what then??? No matter how hard the other person tries to keep that flower living, even if it means replacing the dying roots of the flower with his/her own roots, the flower will still be fragile and weak, just a shadow of what it once was, fueled only by the love of one person, and that person will inevitably be tired of loving someone who doesn’t love him/her back. And that’s when the remaining roots will crumble down.

Alright, so if the roots of the flower are the feelings the people in the relationship feel about one another, then what is the stem of the flower? It is the things that you both did and went through throughout your relationship. The stem always yearn for sunlight because sunlight is good for them. It is warm and nutritious, and that’s why plants love them. In this case, the sun represents happiness. When you are in a relationship, you want yourself and the person whom you’re having a relationship with, to be happy. And that’s why everything you do in your relationship is for the purpose of finding happiness. Of course, too much of good thing is. . . bad, so you should take care not to fall into that trap and remember that there’s more to life than just relationship.

So, we’ve analyzed the roots and the stems of the flower, now, it’s time to actually analyze the bud of the flower itself. In a relationship, a flower bud is represent the special things that happen throughout your relationship. It’s like a cherry on top of the cake. It represents memories that makes you smile (or even blush) when you look back and think about them. No bud is same with another bud, because each and every memories that it represents are unique. And no bud can replace another bud, because each and every memories that it represents are priceless.

Alright, so we’ve covered most of the flower, now it’s time to see what kind of flower represents a relationship. Well, to be honest with you, every relationship differs, and they are represented with a different kind of flower as well. Let’s take a rose for instance, even though the flower is beautiful when you looked at it from a distance, when you get closer, you’ll see that the stems of the rose are covered with thorns to protect itself from harm. So the people in that relationship usually has a very protective attitude towards their relationship. And that’s just one kind flower, there are many kinds of flower in this world for you to see. And who knows, maybe you’ll figure out what kind of flower represents your relationship. . .

In the end, I just want to re-emphasize on the importance of the roots, it is the heart of the relationship itself. So if you’re in a relationship, make sure your roots are strong, because without a strong root, the flower are in danger from every threat it faces, but if it has a strong root, then it’s safe from all but the strongest wind and the fiercest storm that came its way. . .

The Power of Words

2009-04-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

Words tie people up. . .

On the summer of 2008 I read that sentence in an xxxHolic manga (forgot the chapters). Well, when I first saw it, I thought it was just an meaningless sentence, designed to propel the story so it looks good, but then the more I thought about it, the more convinced I am that those words are really true. . .

I’ve encountered a lot of people since then and observed that a person usually use words to tie other people down and gain control over them. I’ve heard a lot of “I can’t” or “you can’t” or “it can’t be done”, and sometimes “it’s a futile attempt” and the worst one, “it’s hopeless”. They don’t realize ( but I think some do) that they are tying down the person whom the speech it’s directed to and bounding them with those words. Those simple words could easily destroy a person’s self-confidence, and that could lead to many things, he could give up his dreams, his goals, everything he believes in, just because he trusted the person who had spoken those words. It’s unsettling to see people having so much power over another and using it the wrong way, when, if they use it the right way, they can propel themselves and other people to new height. It’s saddens me to see people tying themselves down with their own words. Everybody have different potentials to achieve greatness and success inside them that are hidden and needs to be uncovered, and when a person tie themselves, they also limited their own potential to achieve greatness in life or even eliminate it.

People should realize the full power of their words and consider how it will impact the live of the person they’re talking to before speaking. But this is not as easy as it looks. Start with yourself, stop using “can’t” and use “can” more often. Stop tying yourself and other people down and propel them instead, encourage them to reach their dreams and goals. I know you Guys n Gals can do it!

My First Post

2009-04-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first blog and my first time blogging, hehe, and I’m still looking around, trying to figure out stuff, sooo yeah. .forgive me if the blog still sucks and stuff, wkwkwk. .

Don’t forget to follow my blog, okay, cause it’ll be fun :D