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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Phone, The Flight, The One-Night Cinderella



Was it the phone you decided to buy
Was it the flight I decided to take
Whatever it is, I become a one-night cinderella

The world is a large mask-party
And we are it's unassuming guests
2 people from the end of the world to the other
I found myself dancing with you in the light

The phone that rang
The plane that flew
And me a cinderella that wish the night will never end

It was a night of magic and light
Where words come alive
Where feelings are melodius like songs
Where I become what I've always dreamed to be

Yet the phone'll stop ringing
The reverse flight will need to be taken
And cinderella will be alone again,
Broken shards of glass shoes in her bloodied feet

But behold!
The night is young, the moon is full
Let's worried not with the uncertain future
And let us dance, dance, dance!

Let me be lost in the music, drown in your warmth
And let us thank the phone and the flight
For I've become your cinderella

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Problem Girl




And when the kids on the street say
What's your problem girl
And the weight of their smile's just
Too much for you to bear
When they all make you feel
Like you're a problem girl
Remember
You're no problem at all
You're no problem at all

- Problem Girl by Rob Thomas

And yes, he's right. People who does not fit into the mold that others made so, ah, perfectly, do not always mean they have a problem. Sometimes it's just because they're simply...different.

And what is normal anyway? It really does not matter if you do things un-normal/differently as long as you do not disturb others. While an act of using your underpants outside like Superman may sounds outrageous (hardly anyone do that), shouldnt the act of getting your fancy clothes by means of embezzlement and tricking people be more disturbing (so many people do that)?

Morality, I believe, is the operating system that God installed on us. It is there to help us navigate ourselves in life, between basics of right and wrong. Norms, on the other hand, are human made rules. It is made to ensure the humans' social pack get along smoothly, so it's different from one human group to others. Killing a person is morally wrong (the proof is that only very few percentage of people can do it without haunted by guilt), but it is accepted (and done) as a norm in some culture e.g. Honor Killing.

So yes, people can say I'm a problem. Yet I simply live with my own rules and uphold universal moral values [most prominently: thou must not hurt others]. So yeah, I'm probably different, but I refuse to be categorized by people or even by myself as "problematic". No, I'm no problem at all. Happy Sunday :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Private Girl

"There's this beautiful area where the sand is soft as flour and the sea is blue as sky. Let's go there, you and I..."




Friday

He saw the light sparks in her eyes. Her lovely face is otherwise smooth, and except for those sparks that give her an almost humane look, she looks just like any other 'private girl' in the area. Nobody knew whether those 'private girl' human or robot, or both. Their outstanding communication skills and warm touch are very humane, yet they look too perfect to be human and their eyes are like dark abyss. Except hers. The man does not know what got into his head. He knows that 'Private girl' accompany their clients, and the popular ones have many. It was more about comforting the clients and engaging in conversation, and sexual activity is almost nil. Yet somehow he cannot take that this particular 'private girl', which he had been regularly meet during his two-months visit in the godforsaken town, will take another client when he departs next Wednesday. He shook her, he reason with her, but she just sat still with an expressionless look. Then he lost it, he said he love her. And for the briefest moment her eyes sparks with life.

Saturday

"I love you." said the man, she only smile and hug him close. "If taking you with me is the only way to keep you as mine, I will do that." She said nothing, she just smile. "Look, I mean it. You and I meant to be together. Come with me. I will pick you up on Tuesday and we will fly to my town on Wednesday." Still, she said nothing. After what seemed like an eternity she said, "Your family will not accept me. I am not from your world." "I don't care what my family say," said the man, "we belong together." She look at him hard, and her eyes seems to glow with happiness. Not long after their ragged breath filled the room.

Sunday
Chop2: Dude, where have u been??
Man_us: busy. *silly grin*
Chop2: well u've been off the radar since Friday. Angie opens a bet on where we'd find your body.
Man_us: tell Angie she can find me in heaven.
Chop2: dude, you're with a girl???
Man_us: bye, don't disturb me
Chop2: whoa... Are you in love??
Man_us: get lost
Chop2: rofl. This IS serious then!!
*Man_us have signing off*
Chop2: dude?! Dude?!

Monday

He hold her sleeping body next to him. It was not only her eyes, her whole body seems to be alive and bursting with spirit. He lay there for a long time, drunk with happiness and glee, and felt like he's the luckiest man or earth. His job was going so well, he have this amazing girl with him, and he'll be back in his hometown the day after tomorrow. He missed his little sister already, and he wonder whether his mother is all ok, her health has not been the best lately. "Oh well," he thought, "my girl could help her. My lovely, amazing girl." Then an electric shock runs through him. His mother would never accept her, and she was indeed not build for hardship and a life of serving people. Comforting people, perhaps yes, but as a servant to his mother and family, definitely not. For the first time since meeting her, he started to see the reality. And he didn't like that.

Tuesday

"Miaaaoow." That's all the cat would say to that man. It can never understand the affection that its master have for this man. She was perfect beyond doubt, and he, well he's just another man. Now he stands there awkwardly in the middle of the room, trying to convey something while his eyes nervously sweep the room. The cat knew what would he say, and yet it still loathed his cowardice for saying those words, that after what he said and promised her he can't take its beautiful master with him. And the cat knew its master would only smile. While he was still issuing his apology, the man finally registered that the girl's room was neat and there was no signs of packing whatsoever. The realization hit him, the shock that swept through his face was so strong it was as if he was slapped a thousand times by one of its master bodyguards. Delicious, thought the cat.

"You knew." he said, "that's why you didn't pack."
"Yes, I knew." she answered, "I spend my life reading people, you know."
The man looked at her in disbelieve, face ashen and filled with shame. Oh how it wished it could jumped and scratched him to death, but that's not what a well-bred cat would do.
"Thank you for the dream. It was wonderful." She said.
"Goodbye, dear client." and give him her most luxuriant smile before turning her back and leave to her private chamber.

In that briefest moment the cat saw the sparks in her eyes died, and her eyes turned into an even deeper shade of abyss, all well observed by the man. Such cruel cruel man, thought the cat, to give hopes and dreams and destroy them thoughtlessly. But it knows that the sadness in her eyes will haunt him forever and eventually destroyed him, which is a well deserved punishment.

"Kuro-chan..." called its master, as she opens her private chamber. "Miaaaow", it answered, and walk gracefully towards the girl. The man still stand in shock in the middle of the room. It cared not. He was just another man.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Melihat Keindahan, Ada Waktu?




Bayangkan anda melihat seorang pemusik di jalanan. Bayangkan anda saat itu sedang terburu-buru. Seberapa pun indahnya, apakah anda akan berhenti untuk mendengar? Mungkin sebagian besar tidak, karena anda "dikejar waktu" dan lagipula, ia hanya pemusik jalanan toh.

Nah sekarang, bayangkan bila pemusik itu ditempatkan di sudut mewah atau cafe terkenal dengan tag: "Tuan A: Pemusik Terkenal"; seberapa buru-burunya pun anda apakah anda akan berhenti untuk melihat? Saya yakin akan banyak yang berhenti melihat.

Terakhir, bayangkan bila sebenarnya si pemusik jalanan itu lah yang pemusik terkenal. Dan anda sebenarnya bisa saja menikmati konser gratis nya di pinggir jalan daripada membayar jutaan untuk konser resminya. Ouch. Menohok ga sih.

Inilah yang terjadi di Washington D.C. Pemusik terkenal Joshua Bell bermain secara incognito ala pemusik jalanan di Stasiun Metro, baca cerita selengkapnya disini. "Acara" ini diselenggarakan oleh Washington Post sebagai bagian dari eksperimen sosial tentang persepsi, selera, dan prioritas orang. Pertanyaan yang ingin dijawab adalah: dalam lingkungan biasa pada jam tidak tepat: Apakah kita mampu melihat keindahan? Apakah kita mau berhenti untuk menghargainya? Apakah kita bisa mengenali bakat dalam konteks yang tak terduga? Ternyata belum tentu.

Dalam buku The Naked Ape, Desmond Morris menggambarkan secara brilian kehidupan masyarakat purba yang tidak dikejar waktu. Kalau dipikir-pikir, sebenarnya siapa yang mengejar kita sehingga kita tidak mampu berhenti sejenak dan mengagumi/menikmati hidup? Kenapa SMS/telepon harus dijawab saat itu juga dan tidak menunggu sampai anda memiliki waktu luwang sebagaimana jaman dahulu dengan surat/pos biasa? Terkadang tanpa sadar kita terus berlari dan mengejar sesuatu, sampai melupakan bahwa hidup cuma sekali, sampai tidak sadar bahwa hidup itu indah.

So yeah, lain kali anda merasa melihat/mendengar/mencium/menyentuh sesuatu yang indah, berhenti sejenak untuk menikmati, manjakan kelima indera kita. Lupakan bahwa "sesuatu" itu tidak berada di tempat yang tepat. Ibaratnya, pemusik jalanan pun bisa anda nikmati musiknya bila ia memang benar-benar bagus. Lihat jauh kedalam, jangan dari kulitnya. Saya yakin hidup anda akan jadi lebih baik :)

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Starfish Story


"There'd been a storm, and tens of thousands of starfish had been washed onto a beach. A man walked the beach, saddened to see all the dying creatures. Up ahead, he saw another man. The man was tossing starfish back into the ocean.
"You can't save all these starfish," the first man said. "What does it matter?"
The second man turned to the first. He leaned over, picked up a starfish, and cast it into the sea.
"Well," he told the first man, "it mattered to that one.""

As beautifully illustrated on the story above, we cannot save everyone but the ones that we do save will be grateful for what we do. I cant save everyone in the world, or make everyone happy. I dont think I can even save anyone from anything or make a person happy all the time. Shit happens. But I can try, and hopefully I can make your life worthwhile.

Just like the story goes, what I do probably can't make a change to the world, nevertheless it can make a change (no matter how small it is) in your life. So stay, and allow me to make you smile, to make your life a slightly wonderful one. Allow me to make you happy.

NOTE: the starfish story is taken from a Yahoo article. Read the whole inspiring story here.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Facebook dan Tewasnya Keasyikan Kencan Pertama


Facebook kills. Seriously. Bukan membunuh yang ekstrim sih (tolong hilangkan gambaran pisau berdarah-darah dari pikiran anda), tapi membunuh kenikmatan kencan pertama. And it sucks.

Saya bertemu seorang pria disebuah acara kencan buta beberapa waktu yang lalu. Pada pertemuan pertama saya sangat excited dan benar-benar menikmati malam itu. Lalu saya meng-google dia, plus men-trace facebook dia. Pertemuan kedua saya entah kenapa kurang memuaskan, saya rasa karena saya sudah tahu sebagian tentang dirinya. No fun in guessing. Namun keingintahuan saya menang, dan tak lama setelah pertemuan kedua saya berhasil mendapatkan hampir semua riwayat hidupnya, mulai dari nama orangtua hingga pacar-pacarnya.

Orang bilang curiosity kills the cat, well it sure kills me. Membunuh selera saya sih, karena saya jadi lumayan malas bertemu dia lagi. I know all about him, he knows nothing about me. Yang sebenarnya ga tepat juga, karena kami baru bertemu 2x dan sms-an hanya beberapa kali. Saya ga tau sama sekali tentang orang ini, namun akses ke facebook nya membuat saya merasa saya sudah kenal dia semenjak sekolah.

Ada yang berpendapat knowledge is power. Jadi sah-sah saja nge-browse soal teman kencan untuk info lebih lanjut, sama halnya dengan nge-browse info tentang company tertentu sebelum wawancara kerja. You'll never know what you'll find. Saya pun selalu melakukan facebook+google screening ini untuk mengeliminasi orang-orang yang berbahaya (playboy, sexual predator, agen toko online). It works, but it's really not fun anymore.

Pembaca yang seangkatan dengan saya (usia 27-35 thn) pasti ingat bagaimana 'pendekatan' dilakukan sebelum era hape dan facebook. Dari pandangan pertama, usaha mendapatkan nomor telepon (rumah) nya, kencan pertama yang berusaha menebak apa kesukaannya (dan berharap tebakan anda soal makanan favoritnya benar), semua ini membuat jantung berdebar tidak karuan dan kencan menjadi sesuatu yang amat ditunggu. Sekarang yang perlu anda lakukan hanyalah melihat 'likes' pasangan anda untuk mengetahui restoran mana yang harus anda tuju dan topik apa yang harus anda bicarakan. Seperti memancing ikan dengan sonar dan GPS, ga seru.

Tentunya ini tidak berlaku untuk semua orang, ada orang-orang yang mungkin berterimakasih atas data-data Facebook. Orang yang pemalu misalnya, begitu pula stalker dan sexual predator, atau yang iseng, erm, ingin tahu seperti saya. Tapi seperti yang saya jelaskan, pengetahuan itu bisa berguna, tapi juga merusak keasyikan. Mungkin lebih baik bila saya tidak tahu, toh belum tentu yang orang tulis di Facebook benar. We'll see.

Ngomong-ngomong, timeline nya Facebook itu benar-benar ladang emas informasi untuk stalker lho, mudah dan cepat mencari informasi tentang diri anda dan teman-teman anda. Berhubung semua wall facebook akan otomatis menjadi timeline dalam waktu dekat ini, saya sarankan untuk segera menggganti ke timeline karena anda akan memiliki waktu 7hari untuk mengedit dan menghapus hal-hal sensitif. FYI dari timeline orang ini saya bisa mendapatkan tempat-tempat kerjanya, teman-teman (dekat?) nya, sampai saudara dan orang tua nya. Padahal saya bukan teman nya di facebook, hanya kebetulan memiliki mutual friend. Jadi hati-hati ya...

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