Vidya Dahana Patra

Or what we dearly call Vidatra. It’s my school name.

I went to school there since kindergarten. I went until 12th grade. So it’s basically the only school I have in my life other than my university. Well, it’s normal if you lived within a company housing. It’s quite common here, especially for oil company. So yeah, I have exactly same friends since kindergarten to high school.

My memory from kindergarten still quite strong. I remember my house that time was walking distance from my school. My maid, or mom, or even my grandma when she visited us, took turn to walk me to school. I still remember I was in class A6 and B6. The class located at the back side, where it’s facing directly to school pond and playground. It’s close to the yard. I remember we had a kind of sand yard. We used it for Monday ceremony, or simply just playing around building sand castle or anything. I still remember my class pretty well also. There was 4 big tables to accommodate all of us. On the right side of the class there was cupboards to put all art supplies. And on the back side of the class, there were toys to play house. I remember there were baby cribs, small sofas, tables, and small tableware. Cute isn’t it ?

My elementary school was soooo big. It’s so big that we have 3 gates to enter the school. Each grade has about 6-7 classes. It completes with a huge hall and our own football field. Our school yard can accommodate 1000 students for Monday ceremony. The class can accommodate up to 30 students. It has no AC but has big windows on both side. We didn’t move around during schools, we stayed at 1 class and the teachers came to us. We only move to other class for music, math or religion class. When I was still in elementary school, the canteen was so small and they only sold snack. We could only buy the meals for take-away. We ate in our corridors. It’s an open air corridor though. What I like about my elementary school is the way they arrange school bus. We relied on school bus so much because the school location is quite far from the housing area. The school made marks on the parking yard, to where each bus for each of housing area has to park in dedicated area. So it ease the students to find the bus.

My middle school and high school are 2 different yet similar buildings. Funny things about these school is that we shared some facilities. The basketball court is located at middle school, but the computer lab is at high school. We didn’t have football field, so we need to go down the hill (there was stairs to access it) to go to our main stadium. Middle school’s canteen was same like elementary school, where they only sold snacks. But my high school has some menus that is ok for lunch. Though, we rarely ate lunch at school. Because it’s located only 5-10 mins from home, we always had lunch at our home. What I love from my middle school was its library. It’s small, but complete enough. Sadly, my high school’s library wasn’t managed well. They only had books from former international school that we had long time ago.

It’s an uncommon school. But, still it’s the best school in East Borneo. We even managed to get into best 100 schools in Indonesia, where we rank above some good schools in Jakarta. We always have 100% rate of graduation and most of the students went to the best universities in Indonesia. ITS and UGM have a great relationship with my school that they give us a special track for colleague scholarship submission. Each year, the students either graduate with the highest score in East Borneo, or there’s 1-2 students that graduate with perfect score. Not me, though. hahah!

Anyway, because we only have that same friends from kindergarten until high school, we learned how to appreciate a friendship. After we graduate, sometimes it’s difficult to find friends we can truly trust. We become more grateful as we understand by heart how a friend could be our family. So, yeah, thank you, Vidatra!

Dear, Akas

How are you up there? We miss you here. Do you miss us? or me particularly?

How’s heaven? Earth is quite a mess right now. I imagine if you’re still with us, you probably the one with the most concerned, as you’re always be the one who always caring us the most. Especially when you know Abang is still work from office, I know exactly you’d tell us to take total precaution and telling us the latest news that you just find out on the news. And you’ll keep asking how we’re doing, through Oma or Mom.

I miss you everyday, especially every Sunday. When there’s your fav program on TV, boxing match. I think you’re the most dedicated boxing fans on earth, hehe! I miss you every time I watched PON (National Sport Weeks), because it reminds me you always introduced me proudly with your team when you were chief of Jambi KONI (Indonesia National Sport Committee). I guess it’s one of the reason why I love sports that much. I miss you on every road trip, because it reminds me how I sat on your laps and we’re competing to read all the signboards along the way. It was more than 25 years ago, but it just feels like 25 seconds ago. I miss you when I’m at the airports, because it reminds me most of my first travelings because you always brought me along in every holiday. I miss you every time I see Hotel Indonesia, because you woke me up that morning, carried me into your car, and took me there to eat the famous chicken porridge. I even miss you when I read the word “river” and “ocean” or the phrase “I’m feeling blue”. Because it’s one of the many English words you taught me. God, so many memories that triggered me to miss you badly.

Akas, there’s one thing I regret until now. That I haven’t told you this directly. You’re inspiring me. You’re the one who taught me to be kind. As a brother, as a father, as a grandfather, as a friends, as a leader, and as a family. Your kindness are reflected in your sayings, your deeds, and the way you’re listening to people around you (even though it seems like you’re into that video music you’re listening to). All people who knows you always say this to me, “Kak/Pak Alam was a very kind person. We’re really glad and blessed knowing him in our life”. When your grandchildren were gathering around you, you set the TV to our fav channel, just because you want us to feel comfortable and having fun. And one thing I know, your kindness wasn’t because you’re told to. Or because you need to prove anything. It’s just who you are.

So, thank you for all the life learnings (Especially on how to be on time. Very punctual. And by punctual, I mean it’s 30 mins early). For all the sweetest memories that any grandchildren could’ve asked for to their grandpa. I’m blessed I had been loved by you. Al-Fatihah.

Lost in Translation

The one who’s making this challenge really love talking about “love” I think. This is the 2nd topic out of 3 topics about love. Didn’t they realize that love is the happiest feeling on earth but at the same time it is the hardest thing to explain? Even to show. A lot of people lost in trying to understand the act of love. Figuratively speaking, they’re lost in a translation of love language .

We all know there are many kinds of love in this life. Couple love, parent love, sibling love, friendship, love to our pet, even love to our own place or city. But there’s a silver lining above all of those; belonging. If you don’t have the sense of belonging out of something, someplace or someone, there will be no love between you. When you feel like you belong to anything, you want to keep it dearly in your heart. You don’t want to lose it. You hold tight onto it. Once you lose the sense, you let go. Not all love can be let go, though. It is forgotten sometimes, but not let go. Confusing, indeed.

Love has 2 faces, if you aware about it. Let’s call it the white devil and dark angel. It could trap you without you notice about it. It took most of your time and energy. It ruined your concentration and mostly your mood. It sometimes ruined your relationship with your friends or family. Yet, we somehow still felt very happy. We didn’t realize that there’s a white devil luring us to the trap. It’s called love. It could as well give you a frustration with all the attention. You somewhat forgot that to show love it doesn’t always mean to give flowers or celebrate anniversaries, but still, you were demanding to have all of those. When your parents grounded you or gave you earlier curfew, you hate it because you forgot that it’s actually because they love you. Love, here, looks like a dark angel. Misleading, perhaps.

Love is when you feel home. Within a city or with someone. You want to leave, but you’ll miss it. You’re tired with all the routine, but you need it because it feels safe. Sorry to sound so cliché, but without one, you’re a lost soul. You need it as a compass, as a lighthouse, to remind you sometimes the purpose of your life. Yes, in it, you’re still lost in translation. But, you know deep down you have all the clues.

Starstruck

I rarely have a Starstruck. Especially if it’s only because of his/her appearance. I mostly idolize them who has talent. Good acting, good singer, good tennis/football player. When they’re really good at what they do, my heart fall for them.

I think it all started when I was in elementary school. When all my girl friends like the member of a boyband because they’re good looking. Somehow, being a little miss know-it-all back then, I want to be an anti-mainstream person. So when most of us chose Nick Carter, I collected AJ McLean’s pins up. Well, I really do love his voice until now. Remember when there was a gimmick telling us Westlife Vs 5ive? I choose 5ive. Simply because they’re more original then Westlife who just covering some old songs.

When girls my age has a crush over Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or Ben Affleck, my desktop screensaver playing pictures of Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Denzel Washington, John Cusack, or Will Smith in a loop. When every woman (or man) who’s watching La Casa De Papel falls in love with the Professor, I’m in love with Berlin, right from the very beginning. Oh, btw, I always love Tom Hanks. The only actor whose all of the movie I watched. Even over and over again. I like his movie when his younger, tho. When he played this fictional character, not like most of his movies nowadays when he portrayed a real figure. I always have a thing with Matthew Rhys and Eddie Redmayne, just because I really really love the way they act.

It doesn’t mean that I never have a crush over a celebrity because they’re good looking. Jude Law and Josh Hartnett always make me daydreaming. I really think if I’m a teenager I will be hysteria every time I see Timothée Chalamet in screen. Alessandro Del Piero was the one who made me get into football until now, because I used to like watching him every weekend.

Anyway, I like them not only because their talent or handsome face. I mostly idolize people because they inspire me. Through their way of choosing a character they portrayed, through their dribbling or smashing technic, or basically, through the way they do their passion. I think I really want to see myself in them. Part of myself that quite envy that they can do what they love.

Erste Liebe.

To be honest, I don’t like today’s topic. I mean, it’s so cheesy. Too cliché to talk about. Everyone has first love. And the story always the same old story. It’s funny, silly, and full of tingling memories. Sometimes it ends up with our first heartbreak. Sometimes it ends up with our latest love instead. Some people blessed to have one, some people still searching for one. It’s all circling down about that area.

Some of us talking about first love always start it with “who?”. Then followed by “when?”. They never asked about “how?” because most of us assume it’s always about the same old stories. Isn’t it?

First love might be with the one who lets our guard down. Or Maybe the first one who makes us realize to put our guard up. It’s the one who takes us to another part of life that we don’t know ever exist before, and we don’t want to leave it. Or, we’re actually trapped in it. In good way, tho.

First love could be when you hit your puberty. Or maybe in your second puberty. You could find it when you least expect it. When you feel like you’re tough enough to be “alone” in the world, it makes you realize you’ll always need significant other. When you think you’ll never find one, it turns out to be your last as well and completes you all of sudden.

First love would be heartening, comforting and mind-blowing. It would be confusing, hurting and mind-boggling as well. But it always feels special. We’ll feel like an alien finding a new way, new habit, new life. No matter how it goes. Or ends.

But, First love should be something happy, tho. If not, then there will be no one says it never dies. If not, then it won’t be in so many topics in many books, movies, bonfires or even writing challenges. It shouldn’t always work out, as people want to move on and try new stuff, and it is only when you look back that you might think, wow, I had that special thing.