My Blog

On a wagon bound for market
there`s a calf with a mournful eye.
High above him there`s a swallow,
winging swiftly through the sky.
How the winds are laughing,
they laugh with all their might.
Laugh and laugh the whole day through,
and half the summer`s night.
"Stop complaining!“ said the farmer,
Who told you a calf to be ?
Why don`t you have wings to fly with,
like the swallow so proud and free?“

Calves are easily bound and slaughtered,
never knowing the reason why.
But whoever treasures freedom,
like the swallow has learned to fly

For some extend, the whole job it self is a repetition. Everyday, every weeks, every month, etc people repeat to do something, just to survive, gaining “power”, money of course, or whatever. In thermodynamic point of view, most of exergy (available energy) is destructed in such repeated activity. Come on guys,….this guy (exergy) is limited!! Why don’t we utilize it to discover as many new things as we can? But wait the minute..!! Even the people who try to escape from such repetition activity (I know John Denver,…he was an engineer, but he decided to share the joy of life on the stage by singing country songs, CMIW) had not really escape. Hi move and perform on the stage in regular basis, he drove the car regularly right? What about playing his guitar? Cook his food? Make love? Ups,…..I heard he was a great lover!!

What about a humble Sufi? Of course he perform the rituals regularly,..almost everytime! Probably the most repeated job is a driver….spending so many thousand kilometers on the same road…So is there anybody really escape from something repeating,…routines ,..or something like that? Is there?

OK,….actually I wanted to describe is my job is nothing but repeating something almost similar everyday. Next milestone in my “repeated activity” will be reached at around 4.30 p.m. By that time, side product of my digestion system will be accumulated,….in gaseous phase. Of course, to avoid overpressure and system failure,….this residue should be safely released. Well,…actually it one of the juicy part my presence in office. A couple of cfm (cubic feet per minute) will be discharge in an exhausted environment….it doesn’t activate any alarm, trigger any sensor and no harm to anybody….

This biorhythmic driven activity also reminds me to perform Ashar Prayer, and prepare to leave the office…..

(To be continued)

Not until yesterday, suddenly I found that my life is repeating in daily basis. Yes,…..it is my life, not solely my activity, jobs or biorhythmic. Is it a good or bad sign? Considering I was not pretty well organized, it’s a sign from heaven. In the other hand,….considering I was an “adventurer”,…it’s a stink from my perished freedom…well or actually it’s not that bad.

I’ve never settled in anything, or probably I would say,…in most of the things. Physically I don’t like to stay in one place for too long, I don’t like to do anything for too many times, errr….even to keep an idea for too long, not to mention something else about my habit that will make my wife “manyun” (grab your closest sundanese dictionary to find out what is “manyun”.

Yeah, looks like things will settle down very soon. I got a wife (or should I tell I got wife?!), and soon I’ll have my daughter (Insya Allah), and I guess these are the milestone. Looks like, unconsciously I have moved beyond a milestone which separate two phases of my life. Well maybe,….and maybe not.

OK, let’s go to the main part of the story that I want to share. What exactly happen behind my enlightenment.

Started at 5 o’clock everyday, my alarm will ring. Actually for this season 5 o’clock alarm remind me nothing but to pull the rug, to comfort me from bloody dry and cold air. At 5.40, neighboring mosques starts reverberating Azan for Fajr time, at which I jump to switch the water heater on (one delayed minute will lead me to the of Lembang, bloody cold shower!!). My wife takes wudhu while I switch my laptop on. After a while, I would have logged in, but it would be shower time for me. Definitely, just before have a shower, I will express my opinion strongly…..yeah, that would me my strongest output of the day, people couldn’t expect more than that.

6’0 clock I dress up, and breakfast is ready,….always the same menu,….toasted bread with cheese and pineapple jam. I take my breakfast, accompanied by my logged in laptop, just to check the latest news,….off couse not the bloody complicated middle east news,….I prefer some “light news” from detik or pikiran-rakyat.

6.10 with salam to my wife, I will leave with Basmallah and right leg first step, well sometime (this item is not always unfortunately), with a bag of garbage to be put in the garbage room just next to the elevator. I’ll push the elevator, and it approaches, I’ll put the bag. Next,….a mid aged lady will joint in level 8 and I will start mumbling,…..”nih ibu lagi-lagi gak mandi kayanya”…. Worth to mention,…..looks like only Indonesian mandi paling tidak dua kali sehari, bahkan di musim dingin (menghindari konflik SARA, pake bahasa ini aja). The lady will run to catch her commuter bus…..again I hardly think why doesn’t she leave earlier.

I’ll be heading my pick up point through a mess of used car dealers, just to start to loose my mind. Seeing all those bloody 4 wheels drive, 2.5 liters engine with “seducive” price is like possessed, no more good sense in my single liter engine,…em I mean brain….

Catch the bus at 6.30,….no meaningful record so far about what happen everyday on the bus. Before 3 minutes,….I would have continued the interrupted joyful.

Reach office at 730,….the first thing to do, again is to express my second opinion (I mean after my first opinion, not a second opinion from any physician). 7.45 I would have sit in front of the screen, just to continue reading the news,…this time with local news,…..hiking rent, newly unveiled mega project, skyrocketing growth but collapse stock market, and newly announced regulation (damn, this country is really progressive, almost everyday I read the government pass new law, but I never know what is it all about).

(To be continued)

A Heritage of vision was given to us all, to smell the rose’s fragrance,
to hear the songbird’s call, to watch the distant moonlight fill the coming of the tides, to understand that life is more than always choosing sides
And some have seen what can be seen of sailing ships and kings
And some are given feet of clay and some are given wings
Some must struggle just to breathe Some have a golden spoon
And some will never leave the nest while some walk on the moon
And don’t you know the life that lives within the silent hills,
is just as rich and beautiful and just as unfulfilled as man with all his intellect, his reason and his choice.
Oh who’s to say the nightingale has any less a voice
The silver dolphins twist and dance and sing to one another
The cosmic oceans know no bounds for all that live are brothers
The whip-poor-will, the grizzly bear, the elephant, the whale
All children of the universe, all weavers of the tale
So palomino lie back down and dream yourself to sleep
The hawk flies with the morning dove, the lion with the sheep
As far away as you may go, we’ll never be apart
It’s in your dreams that you will know
The seasons of the heart

I’ve been lately thinking
About my life’s time
All the things I’ve done
And how it’s been
And I can’t help believing
In my own mind
I know I’m gonna hate to see it end
I’ve seen a lot of sunshine
Slept out in the rain
Spent a night or two all on my own
I’ve known my lady’s pleasures
Had myself some friends
And spent a time or two in my own home
And I have to say it now
It’s been a good life all in all
It’s really fine
To have a chance to hang around
And lie there by the fire
And watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady
Sit and pass the pipe around
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it’s been since yesterday
And what about tomorrow
And what about our dreams
And all the memories we share
The days they pass so quickly now
Nights are seldom long
And time around me whispers when it’s cold
The changes somehow frighten me
Still I have to smile
It turns me on to think of growing old
For though my life’s been good to me
There’s still so much to do
So many things my mind has never known
I’d like to raise a family
I’d like to sail away
And dance across the mountains on the moon

I set out on a narrow way many years ago

Hoping I would find true love along the

broken road But I got lost a time or two

Wiped my brow and kept pushing through

I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream lead me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through

I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

But you just smile and take my hand

You’ve been there you understand It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true

A Father’s Prayer

12 Jan pagi jam 03.30 caw ke bandara,…gw yg nyetir,…nyampe bandara masih jam 4.30,..kita check in terus shalat subuh dulu…pesawat take off on time. Jam 9 WITA nyampe

Balikpapan

, dijemput Bapak mertua gw…mobil dibagi jadi dua. Makan siang di rumah Mertua, di komplek SMA plus Melati yang ternyata sangat megah (untuk ukuran SMA). Abis itu kita langsung check in ke Hotel Mesra,..si Faza sang ponakan langsung ngajakin berenang….berenang lah kita akhirnya. Malemnya makan di Resto Minang,..dengan menu special Udang Galah….abis itu nonton live music di loby sambil browsing,..kebetulan lobbynya hotspot juga,..abis itu bobok deh.

13 Jan persiapan,….set baju sampe menjelang jumatan, abis itu jumatan di deket hotel. Kloter 2 pada nyampe pas sebelum jumatan. Abis jumatan kita makan siang di menara gading, terus memantau persiapan gedung…mastiin juga kalo besoknya gedung udah adem dengan menyalakan AC sedari hari jumat!! Soalnya menurut view gw sebagai HVAC Engineer, sepertinya cooling systemnya under design gitu lho….perlu pre cool yang cukup supaya pada saatnya gak kepayahan.

Jumat malem,…kesibukan diisi dengan ngetik dan ngeprint ijab

Kabul

…..yang ternyata gak gampang. Abis itu bobok deh….

Sabtu,…kesibukan dimulai….akad jam 9…resepsi dimulai jam 11. Untungnya tamu datengnya mengalir,..bertahap dan gak ngabrek sekaligus. Acara selesai jam 2 siang….langsung check in ke kamar penganten..122.

Malemnya makan malem di Lipan Hill,….sekaligus ulang tahun my beloved wife. Pulang hampir tengah malem kalo gak salah mah……

Minggu 15 Januari, tour ke Tenggarong….ke pulau Kumala, naek perahu, naek ke menara, terus pulangnya naek kereta gantung. Abis itu badan yang udah berasa remek pulang lagi ke Samarinda, langsung ke

Balikpapan

, check in di gajah mada, telepon si Boking, dan minta anter cari tempat makan yg asik. Oya,..berkali-kali gw masuk angina..dan minta digosokin minyak angin,..untung udah punya bini deh…

Senin pagi tanggal 16 caw deh kita semua ke

Jakarta

, dijemput Kadafi yang loyal tea….langsung kegiatan pertama di sentul adalah bongkar cucian bow!!sekali lagi, untung udah punya bini….

Selasa pagi caw ke kantor Depnaker ciracas, jalan ke PS, ke PLN Duren tiga, abis itu pulang dengan berbekal

surat

dari depnaker deh. Eh,..malemnya makan2 di Daeng Tata di Casablanca,…sok pasti gw ngajakin si Ade, sekalian jemput dia pulang.

Rabunya jalan ke garut,…cicalengka,…pulang gak lewat tol, tapi lewat puncak, soalnya ada perlu dulu ke ciranjang.

Kamis ke tempat penterjemah, terus ke UI buat ngambil ijazah sang istri,…abis itu pulang deh, sebelumnya mampir dulu ke Tansa Trisna, sekalian nengokin mantan ibu kost gw yang baru ngelahirin.

Jumat pagi nganterin barang2 istri ke depok,…agan pulangnya berpacu denga waktu buat jumatan. Abis jumatan, bapak jemput Bi Nunung,..jam 15.30 berangkat lah sang TKI balik ke

Dubai

.

Senen pagi seperti biasa,..si babe nyuci mobil sampe nginclong,…abis pada diamenin kurawa semalemnya,…jadi kurang nginclong. Jam 9an kita berangkat ke cianjur, bikin SIM buat si Bapak, ama perpanjang punya gw, 2 jam SIM udah selesai….Indonesia tea atuh…

Senin siang gw sempet bertamu ke rumah sohib,..the one and only di crj mah…setelah ngobrol ngulibek…si mamah memutuskan balik ke sentul sore itu juga,..siap-sipa buat brkt ke samarinda cenah. Akhirnya caw deh kita,….si bapak yg nyetir…weh,..tarnyata udah kaya sopir bis malem bawanya…

Malem kita nyampe ke sentul, sebelumnya jemput dulu junior di tugu kujang. Pangling oge lihat si Junior yang udah berpenampilan kaya

Selasa pagi, lebaran Iedul Adha, kita shalat di Mesjid deket rumah, abis itu bertamu ke rumah Ibu Nani Wijaya, alias Emaknya si Oneng. Siang kita caw lagi ke Lebak bulus, nganterin oleh-oleh yang akhirnya dateng itu, abis itu nganterin pesenan si Junjun ke Fatmawati, abis itu langsung pulang. Sementara itu si Ade ke

Bogor

, nyambung acara shopping sama nganter si Junior balik ke asramanya.

Rabu pagi tanggal 11 gw ke Bandung, nylesein urusan sama sowan ke dosen2 nu ngeugeuh Lab Termo, abis itu, ditengah hujan yang lumayan bikin basah kuyup,..balik lagi ke Sentul sekalian sama Dina an Vony. Vony kita drop di sekitaran Benhil,…abis itu jemput si ade ke sudirman. Pulang,…tidur deh.

Abis jumatan my Mom memutuskan untuk egera nganterin undangan ke LEbak Bulus,…salah satu family kita. Berhubung gw udah tidur nyenyak,…gw sanggupi aja,…langsung kita meluncur ke Lebak Bulus, bertamu ke kost si Junjun di Fatmawati dan jemput si Ade ke Sudirman. Eeee baru ngeh deh kita kalo hari itu jumat sore,…

kota

pasti macet total,…daripada jadi kaya orang bego,…kita putusin nampang dulu di Mall Ambassador sampe kemacetan diperkitakan mereda. Jam 9an malem,….kita putusin pulang,..ehhternyata masih macet juga!!

Sabtu pagi kita utuskan meluncur ke

Bandung

, beli pakaian ama mahar yang konon OK punya. Setelah puas muter2 dan berkunjung ke Dago,…kita putuskan pulang ke Ciranjang….nyampe sekitar maghrib,..makan nasi

padang

terus pada bobok deh….

Hari minggu pagi si Mamah sibuk ngirim-ngirimin bingkisan ke tetangga-tetangga….dan gw,…pamer gadget ke tetangga-tetangga yang pada dating ke rumah. Minggu siang tiduran,…ngadodoho tukang baso yang ternyata keburu pergi…sialan,….mana udah jarang punya kesempatan beli baso dari si Mas SMP (we call him so). Minggu sore kurawa pada dating….rame pokona mah,..sampe abis maghrib semua pada bubar, abis itu ada telepon,…bagasi gw on the way diantar ke ciranjang, akhirnya malem jam 10an dapet juga bagasinya.