Story 4: Amsterdam here I come

I am caught in the moment with people I don't know. Finally, I'm in Amsterdam alone for the first time. An hour ago, I was so happy that I could enter my room. Without thinking so much, I took shower, dressed up, grabbed my key, and ran for the next train to Amsterdam. I was so pissed off by Tifa who left me without key in my hand, actually it was my own fault not remembering to take my key with me. But still, I got a little bit angry with her. She seemed hiding her plan to go to Zandvoort with Fajar from me.

So where am I going now?? I walk myself from the central station to the bridge where I can see some tourist boats by the Amstel river side. The weather is quite chilly and windy, even I wear my long underwear, I can still feel my feet trembling. I speed up my foot steps and go to the next place that I remembered when the last time I went to Amsterdam with Lia. It's about a month ago. I want to see the dam square, if I find it then I am (really) in Amsterdam. It's there...I can see it from distance a big square with the old castle and other big building around it. When I arrive right on the spot, I see some pigeons are there waiting for someone dropping snacks. Not as many as the first time I arrived in Amsterdam, it was summer, but they are still there now protecting their tiny bodies from the wind by making themselves looked fatter with those grey feathers. "Stubborn pigeons" I mumble while staring at them.

I wait until a trem passing by before I cross the street to the other side of the square with a famous monument that I forget the name and a big department store Bijenkorf on my left. Where am I suppose to go now? I look around and it seems everyone is the citizens of this region. My eyes suddenly catch a odd view in a corner of this square. A tourist group with a guide is having a trip around the city. "follow them", those are two words that I can think of in three seconds when seeing them heading to the side of this city that I've never been before.

Walking straight forward on a small path behind the square, this should end at the China town of Amsterdam, but it doesn't. I find myself in a place where high ancient buildings and typical Dutch houses are blocking the light. In the middle of that place stands a huge old church from black bricks and some long plants on its wall. The guide is speaking a language that I don't understand and the tourists are taking pictures of that weird place. I just keep following them as a stranger.

Then, they go to another small street between two buildings that have many glass windows and doors. I'm curious what they are "wow"ing about and walk to the small street to find out. One sexy girl is standing in front of the glass window, another one in a room besides her is trying to invite a guy to come in, another girl in the glass room on my opposite is fixing her bra, and many on my way to the edge of the street some also covered with red curtains. What the heck is this place?

I find fresh air again by the end of the street. A river in front of me with lots of bicycles on its sides and some bridges. I lost the tourist group but I don't care anymore since I couldn't take my eyes of what I've experienced. Well, it's six o'clock now..time to go home. At least, I've got enough fun and a fascinating adventure for myself.

Back in my room, I found no one there. My roomate, she should have come by now but she's not there. The room is just like when I left it. I think I know where she is, I go downstair to the first floor and knock on Lia's door. I'm right, she's there...she looks so happy when seeing me arrived. "Thanks God, finally you're here...I forgot my key when I was in hurry." that what she says to me. Ups..I notice both of us are just the same that time..she doesn't remember about the hostel assistant either who has a master key. Poor Willy..we hardly remember that we have a hostel assistant. Owari...^^;

Story 3: Boy's costumes

Karnaval masih berlangsung meskipun perlahan-lahan orang-orang mulai pergi. Aku masih saja terpaku di depan komputer dengan muka masam. Internet sudah bukan sesuatu yang menarik perhatianku lagi, konsentrasiku buyar aku tidak tahu website mana yang ingin aku buka atau website apa yang sedang aku lihat sekarang. Aku ingin kunciku, aku ingin kembali ke kamarku!! teriakku dalam hati.

Sesaat kemudian, si Oki muncul dari pintu lift yang tepat berada beberapa meter saja dari meja komputerku. Mendapati hanya aku orang Indonesia yang sedang berada di ruang komputer itu, wajah si cowok satu ini menjadi berseri-seri dan segera menghampiriku. Selidik punya selidik, ternyata Oki sedang mau ke Amsterdam cari kerja part-time, dia juga tahu aku sedang pengangguran saat itu. Buatnya hal ini adalah kesempatan baik untuk mengajakku mencari kerja juga meskipun aku bisa membaca dari raut mukanya kalau dia hanya butuh teman pergi.

Setelah kutimbang-timbang memang aku tidak akan tahan dalam keadaan sini sampai Tifa pulang. Aku harus pergi untuk melepaskan kekesalanku. Oki memang datang pada saat yang tepat meskipun ada maksud lain dibalik ajakannya. Hanya satu masalah, aku masih memakai piyama dan sepasang sandal. Ini bukan pakaian yang layak untuk pergi di tengah cuaca sedingin ini. Oki menyadari keadaanku lalu menawarkan meminjamkan jaket dan sepatu ketsnya.

Baju pergi Oki memang banyak, dia juga punya beberapa jaket musim dingin, dan sepatunya pun ada beberapa pasang hanya satu masalah Oki bukan cewek. Dia menawarkanku sepasang sepatunya dan jaketnya yang menurutnya paling kecil. Setelah aku memakainya aku merasa badanku mengecil ketika bayanganku terpantul di cermin dengan sepatu yang lima nomer lebih besar dari ukuranku dan jaket yang lengannya 10 cm lebih panjang dari ukuran tanganku.

Dengan tinggi badan 167 cm dan berat 55 Kg, aku memang bukan seorang cewek yang mungil dan imut dan entah mengapa aku juga mempunyai sindrom melihat cowok-cowok sebayaku selalu tampak lebih pendek dari aku. Yang aku tahu, sepertinya keadaanku ketika aku SD memang cukup berpengaruh. Aku adalah cewek paling tinggi selama SD minimal itulah yang guru-guruku bilang ketika aku harus berbaris di baris paling belakang dan teman cowok di kelasku pun belum ada yang setinggi aku. Tentu saja ketika SMU pandangan itu berubah ketika para cowo mulai tumbuh begitu cepatnya dan masa pertumbuhanku hampir berhenti. But still...I have that syndrom.

Cukup shock juga ketika aku menyadari betapa kecilnya aku dalam baju Oki. Oki yang selama ini juga kuanggap kira-kira lima senti lebih pendek dariku. Kualihkan pandanganku ke Oki, dan dia tampak tersenyum puas bercampur geli melihat keadaanku. Aku bukan pacarnya tentu saja penampilanku pun bukan masalah baginya selama menurutnya jaket dan sepatunya cukup melindungiku dari cuaca dingin. Wajahku kembali masam sambil melepas kembali jaket dan sepatunya. Kukatakan maaf padanya karena aku sedang tidak mood untuk pergi dan segera keluar dari kamarnya yang berada di lantai dua selantai dengan kamarku juga.

"Hi, how are you?" Sapaan Willy yang cukup menyentak lamunanku di koridor lantai dua itu. Willy, Willy si asisten student hostel itu baru saja pulang belanja. Betapa bodohnya aku, orang ini selalu punya kunci master untuk semua pintu. Dengan segera aku menghampirinya dan menceritakan masalahku. Dengan berdecak keheranan, akhirnya diapun meminjamkan kunci itu padaku. Hore aku bisa masuk kamarku lagi. Dank je wel Will!!

Story 2: Morning's Accident

Haarlem, 5 Desember 2002, Saint Nicholas dag. Hampir lima bulan sudah aku berada di Negara kincir angin ini. Aku sungguh menikmati hari-hariku di sini meskipun sekarang cuaca sudah semakin dingin. Tahun ini adalah musim dingin pertamaku dan aku berharap untuk melihat salju untuk pertama kalinya dalam hidupku. Seperti apakah butiran-butiran salju itu? Apakah mirip kapas-kapas yang menghias pohon natal di gerejaku tiap tahun Cuma yang satu ini lebih dingin mungkin? Tetapi sampai awal bulan Desember ini, tak ada satu tandapun bahwa salju akan turun di samping angin dan temperatur yang cukup dingin untuk membuat es krim tidak akan meleleh.

Hari ini adalah hari perayaan santa Nikolas. Pagi itu aku bangun lebih awal dari hari-hari liburku pada umumnya hanya untuk mendapatkan sebuah komputer kosong di lantai dasar dan menikmati internet selama mungkin. Sejam saja aku terlambat bangun, mungkin aku harus menunggu minimal satu jam berikutnya untuk mengantri internet yang hanya tersedia di tiga komputer di ruang dasar itu. Apalagi karena hari ini hari libur, banyak student lain yang memutuskan tinggal di asrama saja daripada harus berjalan atau bersepeda menembus udara dingin ke sekolah hanya untuk mengirim sepucuk email.

Sekitar jam 10, terdengar alunan musik karnaval di depan asrama. Santa Nikolas dan Piet Hitamnya sedang bernyanyi sambil membagi-bagikan coklat kepada anak-anak dan orang tuanya yang berkumpul di depan asramaku yang kebetulan dibangun dari bekas bangunan tua Heilig Hart Kerk (gereja Hati Kudus). Aku meninggalkan komputerku dengan sebuah dokumen word terbuka dengan harapan orang lain akan mengira aku sedang dalam proses membuat tugas. Aku berlari menuju pintu depan gereja dengan masih mengenakan sandal dan piyamaku. Di tengah jalan aku bertemu dengan roomateku Tifa telah berpakaian rapi dan siap pergi dengan Fajar teman setanah air yang kebetulan kamarnya tepat di depan kamarku dan Tifa. Mau kemana dua orang itu sepagi ini? tanyaku dalam hati. Tifa segera menyingkapi keherananku dan mengatakan dia mau nge-apply langganan hp di Zandvoort dan Fajar yang tahu tempatnya. Sebelum aku sempat berkata sepatah katapun, Tifa tampak terburu-buru mengajak Fajar pergi karena kereta jurusan Haarlem-Zandvoort Cuma datang 30 menit sekali. Diapun hanya sempat melambaikan tangannya dan berlari menembus kerumunan orang ketika aku meneriakan beberapa patah kata yang tak mungkin lagi didengarnya, ”Tif, aku ga bawa kunci ka mar....” Kamar di gereja ini cuma bisa dibuka dari dalam tetapi tidak dari luar tanpa kunci.

Terlambat sudah, pagi itu aku terperangkap dalam baju tidurku berdiri di belakang gerombolan orang yang mengelilingi santa dan piet hitamnya. Musik karnaval itu seolah-olah menjadi background musik yang cukup menertawakan ketidakberuntunganku pagi itu hanya karena kecanggihan teknologi yang disebut internet aku lupa membawa kunci kamarku.

Story1: The Beginning

Bandara Juanda Surabaya, 16 Agustus 2002, hari itu cuaca cerah matahari bersinar terang dan cukup menyengat untuk membuat orang-orang yang ada di bandara siang itu berkali-kali menyeka keringat. Dengan tergesa-gesa, papa memintaku cepat check in setelah mendapatkan tiketku. Sampai-sampai dia lupa kalau aku belum berpamitan dengan mama yang menunggu di pintu luar. Sekali lagi aku berlari keluar dari gate keberangkatan dan menemukan mamaku. Kupeluk erat mama untuk terakhir kali, beliau tampak kuat ketika mengatakan selamat jalan kepadaku. Aku pun membalasnya dengan senyum dan sekali lagi meyakinkannya kalau aku akan baik-baik saja. Kulayangkan padanganku untuk terakhir kali ke sekitarku, kurasakan udara kota Surabaya di siang bolong itu, dan segera berlari masuk sebelum suasana menjadi semakin dramatis.

Hidup terpisah dari keluargaku bukan hal yang baru lagi. Selama SMU akupun hidup terpisah dari keluargaku selama kurang lebih tiga tahun lamanya. Hanya ketika liburan datang mungkin aku pulang ke Kediri itupun tidak teralu sering. Hal yang bisa membuatku merasa berat meninggalkan tanah airku untuk melanjutkan studiku dan mungkin menjadi penyesalanku yang paling dalam adalah tentang seseorang di sana.

Aku mengenalnya selama tiga tahun di Semarang. Dalam waktu yang terhitung cukup lama itu, aku dan dia baru menyadari bahwa ada rasa di antara kami tepat dua bulan sebelum keberangkatanku ke Belanda. Sebulan kemudian aku resmi lulus dari SMU dan pulang ke kotaku. Kenangan terakhir yang kami buat hanyalah sebuah janji untuk bertemu yang tak pernah aku penuhi karena papa tidak mengijinkanku pergi ke Semarang hanya untuk mengikuti retreat selama beberapa hari lalu pulang lagi. Beliau berpikir itu hanya akan membuang uang dan mengurangi waktuku untuk belajar bahasa Belanda sebelum berangkat.

Selama waktu sebulan itu, hanya sms dan sepucuk surat saja yang menjadi penghubung di antara kami. Pada malam sebelum keberangkatanku, aku memutuskan untuk melepas perasaanku dengan mengirimkan satu sms terakhir untuknya. Dengan berat hati dan dari perasaanku yang paling dalam aku mendoakan semoga dia menemukan seseorang yang cocok untuknya.

Panggilan terakhir sudah diumumkan, pintu pesawatpun telah ditutup. Pesawat Malaysian Airlines dengan jurusan Surabaya-Singapore-Belanda inipun siap tinggal landas. Tak setetes air matapun mengalir dari mataku, meskipun masih ada yang mengganjal di hatiku. Kualihkan pandanganku ke teman-teman baruku, beberapa di antara mereka masih terisak adapula yang tak sabar menunggu kapal terbang ini melesat ke angkasa. Pesawat mulai menuju landasan pacu. Sekali lagi aku menarik napas panjang dan berkata pada diriku sendiri aku tak menyesal, ini adalah jalan hidupku.

DON'T READ THIS POST!!

If you are dropping by on my blog and see this please just skip this post. Don't ever look at it or even try to read this. This post is not published to be read. There are plenty other posts that contain something than this one. Nothing is being talked here, believe me.

Why are you still reading it? Is it not clear enough what I have told you before? geez you're stubborn enough. Like what people say, a command is there to be broken. If there is no command or prohibition, nothing will be broken or disobeyed, right? Just like those of you who are still reading this writing. I cleary tell you to skip it or just go to another webpage instead of reading my blog but you're still reading it anyway. What's wrong with you guys?? Is that so enjoyable to break a rule?? C'mon you don't want to be that bad, do you? Our parents always want us to be good and obidient and that what you should be now.

Humans are a unique creature. GOD has created them to have what is called free will. Therefore, people always have big curiousities towards everything and then a desire to know more, have more or just keep it and leave it like that. It is all your own decision. Just like Adam and Eve, they would have been in Eden until our generation if they had not chosen to taste the forbidden fruit. GOD likes if we want to know more about the truth and search for it, and He will satisfy us. On the other side, satan also loves if we want to know more and he plays with our curiousity about something that we shouldn't know but he plays tricks by saying you will never know until you experience it by yourself (clever he?). But GOD said "blessed those who have have not seen and yet have believed". Thus, don't play with your curiousity. We were not born to know everything and it is impossible to know all things except GOD. There are so many things that we cannot understand and all we can do is just "believing". So why you don't just believe me and keep reading until this point?


Ok, I admit it is good to know that "curiousity" is needed to help someone develop him/herself. The more you want to know and search for the truths the more knowledgeable you are. Unfortunately, I should let you down by reading this so far you get nothing but your big curiousity about what I'm trying to say. Well, prove it by yourself. If you read this sentence, it means that you have a very big curiousity, if not you have left this page since couples minutes a go. I don't play any trick..it just because you and I are created to be someone who are wondering about new thing and something that we have never known or done it before.

Least but not last thank you for wondering along with me till this part. Let me remind you one more time, this is the very last sentence please do not force yourself to continue even you see some words just ignore them okay??
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hahahaahahahahahhahhhhahahahahaa....................Gotcha.....got yaaa :p :p

Job hunting season...

If I can take a metaphor, students who are looking for internships now are like hunters who are hunting in the woods. Some are really hard workers and do all ways and then expect maybe some animals will fall into their traps, some trust on their luck-fates just by doing less and waiting, other are quite detail and have well-planned strategies to get the big ones, and there are also some others who are scared before trying and just wait outside the woods and perhaps there will be a deer jumping over the street.

Ones who are scared are the pessimist type. They do not believe on their own abilities and often see that the neighbors' gardens are always greener. It does not mean that those people are incapable or have fewer talents than the others who go for big hunting seasons. It just because they need more courage and support from the surrounds and more self-confidence to say "yes, I can do it, I will go for it."

In contrast, there are also the over-optimistic people. The hunters who believe they are the lucky ones because he/she has more qualifications than others. This confidence shows up because perhaps he/she got the high rank at school or he/she has a lot of talents and other supports. Those people might be ones who companies search for. But since the person is capable in many things, sometimes he/she falls because he/she overestimates of himself or herself. They would tend to do fewer efforts with expectation that the chance will be higher for them to be accepted. On the other hand, mostly the failure of this type is their too many abilities that all are mentioned in the resume/CV. We know that certain jobs need more specific qualifications too. It's better to master one thing than to be average in many things.

The hard worker types often have bigger chance to get jobs (but not always) than other hunter types. They send applications randomly to all job offers that they can find with less considering whether it is the job that they desire or not. As long as they get the interview they will take it first and keep it until they get another offer then choosing the better one. I would say this is the common ways to do for most students who want to get an internship. Just by composing one application letter and a resume then changing the name of the company and date every time there is a new job offered. It is easy and faster but in quality, it might be questioned.

The well-planned type is not the best one either. Believe it or not, these people spend more time and work twice harder than other types just to make one good application. The strategy maybe just like the over-optimistic one but the effort is more worth. The problem is that there is sky above the clouds, there might be someone better or sometimes the company prefers who is faster is the winner. More than that, it is all about "luck" aspect; when the applicants are too many the one who in charge of recruiting new trainees may just take randomly some of the applicants and then select the best one.

Maybe the combination between hard worker and well planned type could be the best match but again who knows? I don't, either do you who are still looking for internships like me now. However it is only my opinion while I am about wondering getting the right job soon. I really want to enjoy my internship time and gain another experience just like my friends who are doing their best in finishing their internships now.