LOVE LIFTS US UP WHERE WE BELONG

FINALLY, BREAKDOWN

- My first breakdown. Took MC for one day -

Sabtu
Waktu gue bangun jam 11 pagi (siang ato pagi yah?), gue udah ngerasa ada sesuatu yang menyakitkan di hidung gue. Gue memutuskan untuk tidur lagi mungkin tidur satu atau dua jam rasa sakit itu hilang. Pas gue bangun, hidung gue malah tambah sakit. Gue tau persis ini adalah gejala gue akan pilek dan demam berat (ditambah kambuhnya asma gue kadang2). So gue punya dua pilihan, gue istirahat secara membabi hari itu, berdoa moga2 gue bisa mencegah demam menyerang atau gue menghabiskan hari itu as if I have extra energy to spare, sehingga besokannya gue akan sakit dan bisa ambil istirahat penuh (besoknya minggu khan? besoknya lagi Senin). Gue memilih pilihan kedua karena gue berpikir chancenya lebih besar. Jadi, gue pergi ke sekolah, menghabiskan beberapa jam di ruangan ber-ac dan ber-jogging sore harinya. Malamnya? Maen WE sampe jam 4 pagi.

Minggu
Gue bangun jam 8 pagi. Mungkin hidung gue sakit, cuma gue gak perduli saat itu. Gue bangun, dan secara otomatis cuci muka, ambil baju ganti, masukin dalem tas sepatu bola, berangkat ke NTU maen bola. (tidak lupa pake sun block dulu, hehehe). Hari itu mendung (yang tentunya menandakan bahwa usaha gue pake sunblock itu sia2), yang maen sedikit, jadinya gue berlari lebih banyak daripada minggu2 sblmnya. Selesai maen bola dan waktu makan di JP, gue sama sekali gak ngerasain sakit di hidung, gue ketawa puas waktu temen gue L, menasehati Y, yang akan menikah sebentar lagi ( Y, inget, banyak jarumnya, ati2 yah?). Waktu gue pulang, gue baru ngerasa hidung gue makin sakit dan tenggorokan gue mulai aneh rasanya. So, gue memutuskan cepat mandi dan tidur, kenyataannya gue malah sibuk nelponin seseorang yang gak ngangkat2 karena dia juga tidur. Akhirnya gue tidur dengan sebelah mata terbuka. Sebelah lagi tertutup tentunya (jadi kaya ngedipin cicak yang ada di langit2 ruang TV, peribahasa ini aneh banget deh). Waktu gue bangun, tentunya gue tidak lupa kalo malam itu ada Chelsea lawan Arsenal, so gue postpone tidur malem gue sampe jam 1.

Senin
Gue terbangun jam 3 pagi. Mulai gerak kiri kanan resah. Well, ini jelas banget, gue demam. Posisi tidur gimanapun gak akan enak, miring, terlentang, terlungkup, nungging, jongkok, jinjit, sikap kayang, bahkan sambil berdiri kaki satu dan kepala dibawah juga masih gak enak. Entah gimana caranya, gue berhasil tidur dan terbangun jam 6. Gue buru2 mandi dan solat. Badan gue udah pegel semua, hari itu terasa dingin sekali, hidung gue makin sakit dan tenggorokan gue mulai aneh sekali rasanya. Selesai siap mengikat tali sepatu, gue lari ngibrit karena gue mau take the company bus. Sayangnya hari itu supir bus gue agak kebelet pipis jadi too early. Dia arrive di pick-up point gue 10 minutes earlier. Jadi dengan separuh nafas yang terbuang ketika gue lari ngibrit (tapi tetep cool lho biar ngibrit, kaya adegan Cinta ngejer2 Rangga di AADC gitu deh larinya) , gue menyisakan seperempat nafas gue untuk mengutuk supir bis company gue. Akhirnya gue dateng ke company gue telat 10 menit, dan langsung meminta obat tenggorokan sama HR. Seperdelapan nafas yang masih ada, gue pakai buat menyampaikan protes gue karena bus company yang selalu datang lebih cepat daripada waktu seharusnya.

Ternyata team leader gue melihat gejala gak beres ketika gue menghabiskan sarapan gue hanya dengan seperdelapan nafas yang ada. Kata dia, "One machine gun break down this morning. There is less noise-pollution in our office. What a perfect lazy Monday Morning!!". Dia lalu mengajak gue ke HR dan menyuruh gue ngambil medical sheet so gue bisa ke dokter. Akhirnya jam 9 gue pergi ke dokter. Dengan nafas yang udah tinggal dikit banget dan ditemani hiburan yang ada dari iRiver gue yang sudah 4 taun umurnya [1], gue naik bus umum sampe ke Jurong Point [2]. Ternyata penderitaan gue harus bertambah karena gue harus menunggu kurang lebih 2 jam sebelum akhirnya diperiksa oleh dokter selama cuma 3 menit [3] dan dikasih ONLY ONE DAY MC. Gila bahkan gue udah gak bisa ngerti itu dokter ngomong apa [4], dia masih juga tega untuk menuliskan angka satu pada lembaran MC buat company gue.

Ah yang penting akhirnya dapet MC walaupun cuma sehari. Gue melangkah gontai (Yang ini gak gitu cool, mungkin seperti ketika Orlando Bloom menyesal sehabis memanah Barry Prima [5] ) sambil ditemani iRiver gue yang sudah 4 taun itu umurnya [6], membeli makan siang. Akhirnya setengah jam kemudian gue sampe rumah, makan lunch gue, sebelum akhirnya ditemani tidur dengan sebuah suara manis di telepon.

- Besoknya, teman gue bilang "Your face shows that you're not fully awake but still you come out with a design file. I guess I better check that file carefully before someone go home with less number of fingers". Memang keesokan harinya gue bekerja, cuma gue bekerja sangat lambat. Cuma hari ini, gue sudah jauh lebih baik dan sudah bisa menganggu teman2 gue yang serius bekerja -

Catlio
RedChair

[1] Kalo diumpamakan anak cewek, iRiver gue itu mungkin udah bisa ngambil batu bata dan nyambit bapaknya.

[2] Pusat perbelanjaan terelite di Boon Lay dan sekitar

[3] Untuk menghibur diri gue, gue keep saying to myself, bahwa dalam 3 menit, Manchester United become the champion of Europe dan seekor lintah can reach orgasm (ok, I made up the second fact).

[4] Gue ngerti ko' tapi dia nulis apa. Makanya gue tau dia nulis "1" di kolom MC gue.

[5] Pemeran filem action terkenal sekelas Brad Pitt.

[6] Kalo diumpamakan anak laki2, mungkin sekarang iRiver gue udah bisa maen gitar sambil nyanyi "Bapak-bapak, kucinta anakmu...."

PLAYBOY!

- Anybody read TODAY [1] this weekend edition? -

Well, yes the cover is very interesting. A story about Simon Reeve experience travelling around the world, visiting countries that do not exist on the map. (It must be a very cool kind of job, travelling around bring your notebook while covering your head from bullets that flying around you). But the most interesting article for me is " Why girls must not fall for that cute bunny".

This article told us about the sellling of cute stationary with Playboy brand for teenage girls in England. One teacher in England criticize those who buys Playboy license and produce products for children.

Deep down in my heart, I really want to scream. A book is a book and a pen is a pen. As long as it serves its main function, there should be no problem. I am not against the teacher who actually advise the children not to use that kind of stationary which has the same brand as the big player of porn industry. I just hate the fact that simple things are become complicated now. For me, it's just silly the idea that things that you bought might give you some identity that you did not want. For example, it is just so stupid that you buy stationary and can be considered as supporters of porn industry. I just hate if may be one day I bought a t-shirt that I really like, suddenly I have to throw it away because the t-shirt was produced by a company who supplied money for Israelis to kill Palestine people.

Suddenly, I just realised the world becomes too complicated for me. There are too many identities in this world that were given unnecesarily. I just really hope that the next generation can make this world much better. I hope two of my friends who now educating the next generation can perform their job, at least, properly. [2]

Catlio
RedChair
ooooo-loodle-loodle-loodle-lay
ooooo-loddle-loodle-loodle-lie
rrraa-ba-daddah-badah-rrra-ba-daddah
ba-da-ba-daddah-ba-badah-ba-badah-badah...
[ 1000 things, Jason Mraz]

[1] For those who do not live in Singapore, Today is a free newspaper in Singapore.
[2] For the two of you, yesterday, one little kid made my day. When I went to work, a little kid who was sit near to me, tap my hand and said "Brother, there is an empty sit behind you". I just smiled realizing how polite he was, considering older Singaporean man just sit comfortably when they saw an old lady standing in the bus. Can the two of you educate the boy you two taught, to be at polite as the boy I met?

ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE

- Nothing special from my third and fourth weeks. Only my first pay slip and my first "Houston, we've got problems" phone call. But there is one special coffee break session -

In one lazy morning, me, my big boss, M and my buddy, J sits together in a canteen for cups of coffee. We talked about nothing in particular. Suddenly, my drafter pass by and said "hi' to the three of us. Then, my buddy started the conversation:

"Hey, Bimo. How is it working with E?
"Fine. I must admit she is a bit slow in picking up the drafting skills. But it's allright. We're both in the learning stages"
"Yes. I think she's not bright enough"
"Yes. But she works real hard and seldomly loses her concentraton. I like her attitude"

E is the drafter assigned to help me to do my drafting works. Most of the time, I pass my designs to her and she'll do the drafting works, draw all of my designs. I've worked with her for three weeks now. Everytime she finished her works, she will show me her drawings. it may take her one full working day to finish the drawings and there is always at least an error in her works (sometimes it may take up to 5 iterations before the drawing is error-free).

M, the big boss, suddenly joined the conversation. Well, he might think that he should explain to us why he accepted E for this job.

"I agree with you, Bimo. She finished her degree. For me, for the intelectual side, that is enough. She can complete something. And her attitudes that impressed me. Her attitude is the thing that earn her this job. Same thing for you and you, J"
"I know, M. It's always been your policy, right?"
"Yes. It's your attitude that determines your altitude. What I see from you is your persistence. You keep coming for what you want. That's why I give you chance in this company"
"You told me that in my first day, M"
"Did I? Btw, just go home early today. I have enough of seeing you work till late. Just give your works to some other engineers. Have a nice weekend"

I smiled and finished my coffee. Realizing that now I know the answer to one question that my English teacher asked me 7 years ago when I first arrived in Singapore. She asked me if I die one day, how do I want my friends remember me? After the coffee break, I know the answer. I want people remember that I always fight for everything that I have. And I always fight till the last drop to get something that I want. Yes, M. It's attitude determines altitude. That's why I am always a fighter, making the impossible possible.

there’s only one way i know how to do this
stay here and help me live through this
and i’ll always be the one you knew

from your love i grew
unto complete and whole
and the way i justify
it’s my way to control
love everlasting.
[the one you knew, Joshua Radin]



Catlio
From his workstation
With "First is between 3rd and 4th" keep banging on his head

GIRL SEARCH

Teman saya bilang kalau saya adalah girl searcher terbaik yang dia pernah tau. Waktu dia bilang seperti itu secara otomatis saya langsung berpikir tentang dua hal yang termasuk hal favourite saya di dunia ini. Google dan Championship Manager.

I’ve been searching a long time
For someone exactly like you
I’ve been travelling all around the world
Waiting for you to come through

Saya membayangkan saya seperti http://www.google.com. Memasukkan semua kriteria tentang seseorang yang selalu saya idamkan di search field, lalu menekan tombol "search". Menemukan beberapa page yang memang memberikan apa yang saya cari. Berurut dari yang paling berhubungan sampai yang sama sekali tidak berhubungan. Ya seperti hidup yang sebenarnya, tiap hari jumlah website yang ada juga bertambah. Membuat hasil search hari ini berbeda dengan besok. Saya membayangkan memulai dari term yang sangat umum lalu menambah the keyword sampai akhirnya memberi keyword lengkap guna menyeleksi website-website yang tidak sengaja ditemukan.


I’ve been travellin’ a hard road
Lookin’ for someone exactly like you
I’ve been carryin’ my heavy load
Waiting for the light to come shining through.

Saya membayangkan juga saya melakukan scouting di Championship Manager. Memilih attribute yang saya inginkan dari seorang pemain sepakbola virtual. Saya juga membatasi nilai minimum dari attribute yang sudah saya pilih tadi. Lalu menekan tombol search. The game's database akan mengeluarkan sejumlah pemain yang memenuhi kriteria saya.

I’ve been doin’ some soul searching
To find out where you’re at
I’ve been up and down the highway
In all kinds of foreign lands


Lalu kenapa saya yang terbaik, karena saya bisa saja menemukan hasil search saya, katanya. Istilahnya sebagai "google", there will be no "No standard web pages containing all your search terms were found. " atau "CM", there will be no "No players found". Saya sempat berpikir mungkin keyword dan attribute yang saya cari terlalu general. Saya memang cuma punya dua keyword yang saya pakai sebagai penyeleski pertama dan satu buah attribute pengukur. Toh, hasilnya bukan berjuta page. Cuma beberapa page yang memang memberikan informasi yang memang saya mau.

I’ve been all around the world
Marching to the beat of a different drum.
But just lately I have realised
The best is yet to come.

Cuma saya sedang khawatir dengan google saya. Saya bahkan sudah mengetik satu word document pada search field, ada satu page yang selalu muncul. Saya bahkan sudah memasukkan kata sempurna dan perfect, page yang sama muncul lagi. Saya juga bingung dengan database Championship Manager saya. Saya sudah mengeset semua attribute ke angka 20, dan satu pemain tetap muncul. Hmmmm.

Someone like you makes it all worth while
Someone like you keeps me satisfied.
Someone exactly like you.
[Someone Like You, by Blank & Jones feat Mike Francis, written by Van Morisson ]

......Kadang cinta tidak berarti menyayangi seseorang yang tidak sempurna dengan cara yang sempurna, tapi menyayangi seseorang yang sempurna secara tidak sempurna.....

Catlio
Red Chair