Christopher, Student of The Year

Vincent, Chris, Val and Monic (Val's Day 2013)

This story is about Christopher, my youngest student. At first, I only taught his older siblings, Vincent and Monic at their apartment. Tante Rina, their mom, asked me to teach Chris also. I think it was 3 years ago, the 1st time I taught him. But sadly, he skipped 1 year for cancer treatment in Singapore. And last year (2012), he came back to Indonesia. Yay! 

It was freaking sad when I heard the news, he had cancer at such young age. I didn't knew if it's genetic. Soalnya Shila, yg ngenalin gw ke Tante Rina (masih saudara sama Shila juga), juga pernah operasi kista pas tahun 2011 atau 2012 (sebelum dia ke Kanada). Anyway, back to Chris. Di awal les (sebelum dia ke SG), dia kurang begitu antusias dan ga PEDE gitu kalau ngobrol pake bahasa Inggris. Banyak "I don't know" dan "ga tau". Beberapa hal yang berkesan saat periode ini adalah kami sama-sama suka SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. He collected the cards and I asked him to buy some for me. He got it from his school (SD Tarakanita Tendean). Ga lama les. dia musti ke SG untuk cemo dan treatment. Tapi gw seneng banget pas dia udah balik ke Jakarta di thn 2012. Oh iyaaaa, dia pernah bawain gw Ritter Sport paling enakkkkkkk pas dia balik. Coklatnya segede2 gaban gini. Wajib beli ini sih tiap kali ke SG atau Malaysia. 

SUPER YUMMY!

Masih perlu PDKT lagi (toh yg diawal juga belum begitu dekat) dan makin lama dia makin keliatan progressnya. Gw menetapkan sistem reward sih. Kalau dia ngerjain exercise dari gw atau menyelesaikan tugas-tugas bahasa Inggrisnya, kami biasanya main kartu (dari monopoly card, picturica, UNO, pet war dan game of life). Gw berusaha untuk memancing dia untuk ngomong bahasa Inggris dari permainan2 tersebut. And it worked!

Setelah beberapa bulan, dia mulai keliatan semangat les. Dia mau ngerjain tugas. Dia mau mencoba untuk menjelaskan atau bercerita ke gw pakai bahasa Inggris walaupun kadang dicampur bahasa Indonesia. That was totally fine because at least he tried his best. Abis dia balik, gw banyak nanya ke dia seperti makanan kesukaannya (yg mana yg boleh, yg mana yg ga boleh), mobil apa yg lagi dia suka, gimana perasaannya dia balik sekolah, dst. Buat gw, membina relasi sama murid itu menyenangkan. Gw pun bikin perayaan Val's day kecil-kecilan sebelum gw 3 minggu menghilang di Jawa Timur. Lucu deh, kami tukeran coklat gitu. 

And.... I GOT THESE FOR MY VAL'S DAY =D

Beberapa hal yang gw inget banget dari Chris:

1. Setelah dari SG, dia mengulang kelas 4. Pas ulangan, dia dapet nilai kurang baik. Gw cek item2 dari kertas ujiannya. Wajar sih, mungkin dia masih beradaptasi dengan mata pelajaran di sekolah karena istirahat 1 thn. Oh iya, salah satu kalimat yg gw inget adalah:
WHAT DOES CHERRYBELL DO? THEY ___________ .
Chris ga menjawab pertanyaan ini. Pas gw tanya kenapa, dia bilang "Because I don't know (what Cherrybell is)" :)

2. Dia ga gampang nyerah. Walaupun berkali-kali bilang, "Aaah, udah ya" tapi setelah gw blg "Let's do this exercise then we can play pet war" lalu dia berhasil mengerjakan 100 soal. Dia pun juga ga percaya bisa mengerjakan soal sebanyak itu.

3. Chris suka menjawab pertanyaan secara berurutan. Gw sering bilang "do the easy ones first". Di saat mengerjakan, dulu dia suka ga PD sama jawabannya. Tapi minggu lalu dia bilang "I'll do it first" lalu langsung ngerjain, ga pake nanya setiap kali dia nulis jawaban.

4. He liked wordsearch =D

5. Beberapa minggu yang lalu, pas gw dateng, dia langsung nyodorin kertas ulangannya. Seminggu sebelumnya dia yakin bakal dapet 80 untuk ulangannya. Turned out he got the perfect score. Itu kertas ujian langsung gw photo karena gw bangga banget sama dia.

6. Gw sempet nanya soal teman sebangkunya. Out of nowhere banget, kami bisa ngomongin hal ini. Lalu dia bilang bahwa dia duduk sendirian (mejanya untuk 2 murid). Alasannya karena dia ga suka dicontekin sama teman sebelahnya yang terdahulu sehingga dia request ke gurunya untuk diijinkan duduk sendirian. I know he was a smart kid :)

7. Chris punya banyak mainan. Dari mobil-mobilan, iPad sampai animal speaker (bentuk monyet yg dijual di Informa itu lho) gw sirik banget sama Chris karena speakernya soalnya lucu.

8. Jumat, 20 Sept (les terakhir kami) dia berhasil mendapatkan PIA DORAEMON karena menang Pet War II sebagai runner up. He was so happy.

9. Kamis , 26 Sept, gw udah nyiapin 3 folder sehingga mereka bisa menyimpan kertas-kertas les dengan rapi. Khusus untuk Chris, gw beli 1 map bening untuk persiapan main boardgames ala2 ular tangga tapi berhubungan dengan tenses. Gw udah siapin token-token spongebob dan dadu agar kami bisa main. I was so ready. Minggu sebelumnya dia sudah liat boardgames ini dan dia kepengen banget main. Tapi untuk mainin game ini, dia perlu latihan dulu tenses2nya. Gw udah janji sama dia, minggu selanjutnya, dia boleh main ini.

Terakhir gw melihat dia, dia tertidur dengan tenang. Wajahnya damai dan dia pun tersenyum. Pas ketemu Tante Rina, Papanya Chris dan Monic, mereka ga nangis di depan gw. Mereka menjelaskan bahwa Chris kena leukimia (kanker yang ga related sama kanker sarafnya thn lalu).

He just passed away on 25 Sept 2013. Just one day before our Thursday lesson.

Disappointed

I wish nothing but the best...for youuuuuuuuu..

*save as draft* #UNPUBLISHED

Beautifully Broken

In 2006, I was introduced to her. She was very beautiful and charming. I fell for the 1st time. A week later, I went to the party just to see her. Maybe it was my 1st party, I was pretty shy and didn't know what to do nor how to dance. I just looked at her, dancing gracefully with her partners. She swayed, laughed, kissed and smiled. Too bad I didn't impress her at that time, but she was the best thing in 2006. I hoped I could meet her again next year.

In 2007, she was on my mind and I visited her. She was very calm. I wished to see her again but I didn't have any time. I was caught up in my personal life hence I didn't really focus on her. Another hope to see her again next year.

In 2008, I looked for any chance to be near her and there was this opportunity. She accepted me. Maybe she recognized me from earlier events or maybe my CV was very impressive. I wasn't sure. The only thing I feel was I was very glad. At least, I had more chance to feel her presence longer and just be there when she needed me. I maybe not her best assistant because I wasn't significant to her. But at the end, she smiled at me and I knew I was in love. I really wished I can be her assistant next year, to get a closer look at her beautiful smile.

In 2009, I was her assistant again. A year of waiting. I did the same thing. But this time, the feeling went beyond my expectation. She rubbed my back and whisper, "You're my best assistant." And I felt very proud of myself. I did a great job and she noticed it. Please, I want more than this.

In 2010, two of her partners asked me to meet her personally. I went on a date with her and she decided that we could be more than friends. She wanted me as her partner as much as I wanted her. I knew she was with several people (who were also her partners) but I didn't care, I was very grateful. Every moment I spent with her, I felt safe and warm. I loved her more than ever. Although there was an incident where she was attacked because her behavior wasn't accepted by society, I stayed by her side. We finally survived. I learnt so many things from her. Love and friendship. Well, what I can say, she brought up the best in me. At the end of our celebration of love, I cried because I knew that this feeling was real. I was too in love and I would protect her. The hope of seeing her next year was gone since I stayed with her, always kept her close to me.

In 2011, we were doing great until I found out she had cancer. One of her long term partner left her in a bad condition. I had to take control therefore I spend more time taking care of her. With more responsibility, I felt overwhelmed but I loved her too much, I pushed myself to make her happy and healthier. I ran out of energy. Several times I thought about giving up but I couldn't left her in her condition at that time. She needed my support. She changed. She didn't smile the way that she did. She was broken. Beautifully broken. At the end of the year, I knew I had to give up on her. I was too tired and exhausted taking care of her.

In 2012, she called me, wanting me back. I missed her voice. She was still funny, though. I asked her how she was at that moment. She was in a bad condition and really needed me. I refused at 1st but somehow she managed to make it work. She promised not to nag much this time. I felt pity for her. I agreed to stay with her. In the mean time, I moved on slowly. She was no longer attractive. She was a burden for me and I felt like I sacrificed too much for her. She was no longer worth it. At the end of our meeting, I broke her heart, telling her that I couldn't continue this relationship any longer. She looked devastated but I needed to separate from her.

In 2013, I rarely saw her. Maybe I avoided her in a way she should understand. She was weak. It was sad to see her smiling at me whenever she got a chance. We both knew that we couldn't be together but she hoped I could be in her life. The last thing I heard from her was she got HIV from her other partner. She didn't see it coming. I was devastated to hear that news. I wondered why her partners didn't protect her, knowing that she was very fragile. At the same time, I was grateful because I left her when her condition wasn't that bad. All I could think of were our sweet and happy memories. I pray for her so she can get better. I hope she can survive for at least 3 years from now. I'm sorry, Love, I cannot be there for you this year.

intrigued

Your Reputation is Priceless, Don’t Damage It – Over time, your reputation is the most valuable currency you have in business.  It’s the invisible key that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity.  Especially in an age where everything is forever recorded and accessible, your reputation has to be guarded like the most sacred treasure.  It’s the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.

Warren Buffett

HOUSE addiction

Gw tau sih, gw semacam telat suka sama HOUSE,MD tapi gw baru sempet dvd marathonnya sekarang. Doh, im getting emotional right now. Gw baru mulai season 8 dan Lisa Cuddy gak adaaaaaaa...I haven't cried in a week or two. Bangke nih HOUSE. Gw sukaaa ngeliat dinamika mereka. Lagian, Lisa udah ada dari season 1. Jadi esensi dari season 8 ini aposeee? 

Feeling gw sih season 8 jadi season penghabisan yang semuanya dibukain gitu. Tp masih blm bisa move on kalau si Lisa udah ga di season 8 lagi. Wong di season 7 sebelum season finale, si Lisa kayaknya bisa dipalbis2in sama House gt. MEH. Anyway, gw tetep bakal nonton sih, ngabisin house karena tanggungggg.

Oh iya, semalem gw mimpi deket secara emosional sama Hugh Laurie (iya, si Gred House). Aneh banget. Yang gw inget cuma gw meluk dia kayak bocah. Father complex gw keliatan banget. Mungkin perkara tggl 7 Agutus lalu ultah bokap kali ya? I don't know, gw cuma bingung aja sih kenapa mimpinya seperti itu. Mimpiin House sih fixed karena gw keseringan nonton. Mimpiin HOUSE deket sama gw (dan gw kayaknya ga takut atau terintimidasi) nah itu yang bikin gw bingung.

Mgkin gw kangen bokap. 

~ToV~

Pasangan Ideal

Beberapa tahun yang lalu pas gw masih kuliah, gw pernah nanya ke temen SMA gw perihal pasangan yang ideal menurut dia seperti apa. Dan jawabannya,

"Gw pengen punya cowok yang tinggi, putih, pinter, tajir, ganteng kayak Daniel Radcliffe dan batak."

Yes, good luck finding the batak version of Daniel Radcliffe. Sampai saat ini sih dia belum menemukan orang yang seperti itu jadi masih jomblo selama 24 tahun tanggal 23 bulan ini (Gosh! I shared the same birthdate with her).

Finding your perfect match aint easy and I learnt it the hard way. Contohnya temen gw itu, sebut saja Kamboja. Kriterianya dia ya seperti itu tadi. Mungkin sulit dapet yang memenuhi seluruh kriteria, mungkin aja suatu saat dia akan menemukan laki-laki sesuai harapannya tapi HOMO.

Well anyway, having your own list is important so you wont flirt with everything that moves and you have a specific goal in a relationship. I spent the last 10 years, figuring out what I want in a relationship and what kind of a partner who actually can handle me. During my super awesome journey, I met so many people (which I thought, it was a mistake at that moment) and try to understand their personalities. Minimal dalam pencarian itu, hasilnya bukan "tipe pasangan ideal si Ceceh" melainkan "People I will not date".

Gw ga mau pacaran sama alay
Gw ga mau pacaran sama yang tukang nyiksa bathin dengan nurunin self esteem gw
Gw ga mau pacaran sama yang suka selingkuh
Gw ga mau pacaran sama yang gemar bohong
Gw ga mau pacaran sama yang masih blm coming out sama dirinya (lesbian in denial)
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang manggil gw Palent, instead of Valent.
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang psycho
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang insecure
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang masih dikintilin mantannya atau #TeamGagalMoveOn
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang sudah nikah
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang wawasannya sempit
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang terlalu mengekang
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang gampang cembokur (cemburu)
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang mata duitan
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang doyan mabar (drunk)
Gw ga mau pacaran sama orang yang doyan melakukan unprotected sex (HIV test is a must)
Gw ga mau pacaran sama pemadat

Itu beberapa contoh dari sekian panjangnya list gw. Tapi intinya sih pasangan ideal adalah seseorang yang punya visi dan misi yang sama (atau serupa) dengan gw akan relasi (tau mau dibawa kemana), mau mencoba saling menyesuaikan diri, dan saling PERCAYA (capslock sengaja dipencet). InsyaAllah bisa membina relasi yang sakinah, mawaddah, warohmah. If you love someone based on their physical appearances, maybe you will find difficulties when your partner is no longer the way it used to be. If you love someone based on their personality, unfortunately people change (makanya sblm jadian, suruh isi dulu NEO PI-R. I LOVE THIS TEST).

Baiklah, kayaknya tulisannya berakhir disini karena gw mulai lapar. Happy tummy, happy love. 

The List of 41 Things that Make People Happy

The list of 41 things that make people happy:

1. Going on holiday 
2. Getting into bed with freshly washed sheets 
3. Waking up on a sunny day 
4. Sneezing three or more times in a row
5. To know that there are still left a lot of pages to read from a book you love.
6. That text message you waited so much
7. To wake up from a nightmare and realize it was just a dream.
8. To eat the creamy part of a cake.
9. The day when you first realize you can drive
10. When cashiers open up new check-out lanes at the grocery store
11. Collapsing into bed when you’re completely, massively exhausted
12. The last day of school/ work
13. Crossing off the last item on your list
14. The thank you wave when you let somebody merge in front of you
15. Finally remembering where you recognize someone from after staring at them forever
16. When you officially become boyfriend girlfriend
17. Fixing electronics by smacking them
18. Seeing old people really get down on the dance floor
19. When someone guesses you’re way younger than you actually are
20. Inside jokes
21. Weird food combinations that only you love
22. Correctly spelling that old password you haven't used in a long time
23. Lying in a beam of sunlight coming through the window
24. Crazy bets
25. When the plane touches down on the runway
26. Inspiring graduation speeches
27. When you ask the people in front of you if they’re in line and they’re not
28. 3:00am conversations with your best friend
29. Kids helping their little brother or sister across the street
30. When a deadline is extended unexpectedly
31. The loudest guy at the game
32. Finding out what song is in that commercial
33. The sound of a train coming into the station
34. Laughing at a stranger with another stranger
35. Being the first of your friends to discover the latest Internet joke
36. When the Christmas tree gives the only light in the room
37. Pulling a weed and getting all the roots with it
38. Staying up so late that everything becomes funny
39. Finishing your last exam
40. Laughing so hard you start crying
41. The smell of Play-Doh

What makes you happy? :)