Di Jalur Lambat dan Jalur Cepat

Rame-rame di wisuda kawan (dok. Eko)

Ketika dulu aku sampai ke Amerika untuk belajar di NDSU, yang terjadi di dalam pikiranku adalah totally blank. Ini terjadi karena segala apa yang aku lihat pada moment itu tak ada referensinya sama sekali. Mungkin aku sudah banyak melihat gambar-gambar tentang negara adidaya ini, tapi secara kasat mata, itu pengalamanku pertama kali.

Dua puluh tahun lebih hidup di negara berkembang, mataku rupanya syok melihat negara maju. Pikiranku tak bisa mencerna informasi yang masuk lewat indera-inderaku. Segalanya baru: udara baru, suasana baru, orang-orang baru, bahasa baru, dan bau dunia yang baru, dunia maju.

Minggu-minggu awal, aku merasa bahwa aku tak mungkin bisa beradaptasi di dunia bernama Amerika ini. Rasanya seperti jatuh ke dunia lain yang membahayakan pribadi. Maka minggu-minggu awal adalah minggu-minggu paling menyedihkan! Sepertinya aku ingin protes ke program Global UGRAD yang membawaku ke sana.

Tapi sejalan dengan perjalanan waktu, rupaya dunia ini nikmat sekali ditinggali! Dunia maju adalah dunia dimana hampir semuanya mudah dan menyenangkan.

Jalan-jalan di dunia maju, setidaknya di Fargo, North Dakota, mudah dilintasi karena memang konstruksinya dibangun sungguh-sungguh. Pengguna jalannnya juga tertib. Aturan-aturan dibaca mereka pada tahap kesadaran akan keselamatan dan keuntungan baik bagi dirinya maupun orang lain.

Orang-orang di dunia maju hidup dengan kepedulian lingkungan pada tingkat yang cukup tinggi. Baik itu dipaksakan oleh pemerintah atau keinginan sendiri, kepedulian ini menciptakan pengelolaan lingkungan yang bersih. Rumput hijau menghampar dan terpotong rapi di halaman-halaman rumah dan tepi-tepi jalan. Sampah-sampah dipisah-pisahi rapi menurut jenisnya.

The Version of My Success

With Mr. Trump. Thanks, sir!

There are so many successful people out there. They achieve something precious for their lives. Some become so popular and get so much praise from other people. We can recognize how Bill Gates successfully built his Microsoft, and how Steve Jobs created Apple Inc. Nobody will denies that those two men have succeeded on their path.

Their lives have become inspiration for lots of people around the world. Their persistence to get their success gives us many lessons to study and to follow. Now, the question is what does success mean? Are those who are as rich as those two not successful persons? To agree or do not agree is part of of those questions. You can keep your answer now. I have a version of my success.

I spent all of my childhood in a country called Indonesia. I was born there about twenty two years ago. Anyway, Indonesia is an archipelago containing more than 17,000 islands. We have so many different ethnic groups. I am from one of them called Java. I was born in a little town, Blitar, which is located at Java Island, on of five largest islands there.

My late father was a local entrepreneur in Blitar. He fixed broken sewing machines and we earned money from that. We did not make much money from that job, just enough to meet our daily needs. My mom was the manager, which mean actually she had no job, just helped my dad. Nevertheless, both are the best parents ever for me!

Orang Amerika yang Low Context

Rob Swiers and me and I just call him Rob

Ketika belajar di NDSU, aku sering naik bus untuk menuju kampus, ke pusat kota, atau juga ke tempat lain seperti tempat untuk volunteer. Aku kenal dengan salah satu supir-nya yang pensiunan Angkatan Laut Amerika atau the Navy.

Kelly Hostetter namanya. Seorang pria yang kukira sudahlah berumur dan ia pun sudah beruban. Aku biasa sapa dia dengan namanya saja, “Hi, Kelly!” begitu saja. Tunggu! Aku berkawan dengan orang tua beruban? Juga tak memanggilnya Pak?

Itulah orang Amerika. Kecuali ia bukan ayah kawanmu atau gurumu, kau tak akan panggil dengan Mister atau Sir. Kepada mertua saja, orang sana sering hanya memanggil nama saja. Mana mungkin itu dilakukan di Indonesia?

Situasi tersebut menunjukkan bagaimana orang barat memiliki budaya yang low context. Ini adalah sebuah budaya dimana masyarakatnya tak banyak analogi dalam bermasyarakat. Mereka tak banyak prasangka dan menjunjung tinggi rasionalitas.

These All Are for My Nation

Explaining some stuff about Indonesia at CEC at NDSU

“In the same time, we are not only this nation citizen, but also a global one. In order that, we have to be able to express our idea in a global expression!” (Anies Baswedan)

Growing up in a little town Blitar, where Soekarno’s grave is located, I've learnt to dedicate my life to this nation. Bung Karno—Soekarno’s nickname—had stated that we must be an independent nation (bangsa yang berdikari). Also, my father, who is a local entrepreneur, always said that ever since I was a child, I have to have a strong willingness to be independent. Depending on others may be permitted at first, but at last, independency is the only way to stand firmly on my own feet. And, my mother said that do not ever forget to pray, because God never sleeps!

When I entered university, then I understood that I am now connected with global community. I am a citizen of the world. I also learn about how to strengthen my self in this world through three pillars: leadership, entrepreneurship, and ethics. Through these values, everybody can be more competitive to face many challenges of life.

Let It Snow and Rain

Go sledding!

A few days ago, I’ve heard that Fargo had its first snow. It was too early, everybody says. It was a fluke? Probably. But that’s not what I’m going to talk about.

If you ask me what is it worth if you let me see snow? I’d probably say that I’d buy you food for a whole year. I am kind of half serious and half joking, though.

Part of me is serious. Last year, when I was looking at this stuff at first, I could not help but admired it. It was so white that I could do nothing but staring at it like a child gets his birthday present. I hold it. I smiled at it. I balled it up. I fell on it. I was knee-deep in it. I even tested it to make sure that what was right in front of me was what people call snow.

The dream of us
Snow is like dream for everybody in Indonesia. We watch movies, shows, and news that show us snow a lot. But it is our TV screens that do it. We can’t feel it first hand. We just let our mouth half-open and keep wondering how it feels. We always dream to someday hold it. Firsthand.

Go Bison: All I know about NDSU

Global Ugraders of Indonesia

Well, I was there only for one year. I got a scholarship from the US Department of State under a program called Global Undergraduate Exchange Program. So, have I known NDSU pretty well?

If you count whether or not the president of NDSU and I are friends to see if I knew NDSU well, you might as well just jump on another blog and swing by a gun shop, grab any gun and point it at me and shout: this guy is making up something!

But, never mind, that is just an exaggeration. I have a whole bunch of friends over there, though. So I might have known NDSU well. I might have.

Okay, first off, this is the biggest university in North Dakota. It’s in Fargo, which is not the capital but the biggest city over there. The place is really cool and clean. You’ll see a lot of green areas where you can hang out with friends. Fresh air and nice atmosphere will lure you to stay there.

As typical big universities in the US, NDSU was founded way back then. When was it? It’s none of my business. An excuse? Yeah, but I have another answer: Wake up and smell the Internet, Buddy! Just kidding. It’s founded in 1891 and back then it wasn’t NDSU yet but North Dakota Agricultural Collage.