Monday, April 29, 2013

Indonesia itu negara yang beragama.. bukan negara Islam.

Disini saya mencoba mengingatkan kembali kepada pihak-pihak yang belum tau, atau mungkin lupa. "Indonesia itu negara yang beragama, yang mayoritasnya itu beragama Islam, bukan negara Islam". Saya masih inget pelajaran PPKN dulu pas SD: di Indonesia, ada 5 agama yang besar, yaitu: Islam, Kristen (Katolik & Protestan), Budha, dan Hindu. Jadi, bukan hanya Islam saja yang ada di Indonesia. Sepakat?



Oke, sebelum dimulai, perlu diketahui kalau saya ini juga beragama Islam. Dan disini saya tidak akan membahas isi dari peraturan Islam - apalagi membahas Al-Quran dan Hadits. Saya nulis ini juga tidak ada pengaruh atau maksud dan tujuan tertentu, purely karena ingin menuliskan pendapat pribadi.

Jadi, sepakat kan yah, di Indonesia ada beberapa agama-agama lainnya?
Lalu, mengapa larangan-larangan dan peraturan-peraturan Islam harus dibawa ke level negara?
Mengapa pada akhirnya negara membuat peraturan ini-itu dan menolak kegiatan ini-itu, atas nama Islam?
Untuk mendapatkannya, beberapa pihak harus berkoar-koar di segala media, panas-panasan protes sana-sini. Tapi buat apa?
Buat apa mereka cape-cape melakukan itu semua?
Saya yakin, kalau mereka ngomong itu di mesjid, di perkumpulan orang-orang Muslim atau di pengajian-pengajian, itu akan jauh lebih efektif.

Sepengetahuan saya, target dari beberapa pihak tersebut adalah orang Muslim. Mereka ingin orang Muslim ingat pada larangan dan peraturan Islam. Saya setuju sekali dengan niat baik ini. Lalu, mengapa mereka harus mengatakannya di depan orang lain, yang bukan targetnya? Untuk apa mereka mendapatkan perhatian dari orang diluar target?

Didalam marketing, suatu produk tidak akan dapat dipasarkan kepada seluruh kalangan, oleh karena itu, marketer perlu melakukan targeting, yaitu menargetkan siapa saja konsumen yang akan dituju. Saya ambil contoh iklan kondom, yang jelas-jelas ini untuk konsumsi orang dewasa. Dan iklan ini pasti ditayangkan di TV larut malam, atau bahkan tengah malam. Karena marketer mau approach orang dewasa, yang masih terbangun pada jam segitu.
Ada yang pernah lihat iklan itu disela-sela film kartun di hari minggu? Ngga ada kan.
Karena anak-anak itu bukan target mereka, buat apa mereka buang biaya dan tenaga menjaring yang bukan targetnya?
______________________________________________________________

Lalu, kalau negara ikut andil dalam hal ini, sampai dibuat peraturan negara atau negara menolak suatu kegiatan, apa yang didapatkan oleh orang Indonesia lainnya, yang non-Muslim? Apa untungnya untuk mereka?
Pernah terfikir perasaan mereka?

Coba kalau keadaannya dibalik. Bayangkan seorang Muslim tinggal di negara yang minioritas Muslim. Lalu dibuat peraturan yang mengharuskan seorang Muslim memakai pakaian ini, melakukan ini-itu, dan sebagainya. Bagaimana perasaannya?

Saat ini saya tinggal di negara yang minioritas Muslim. Tetapi perlakuan dari orang lokal dan International yang agamanya berbeda, itu sangat baik. Bahkan mereka sangat menghormati dan curious, ingin tau Islam lebih jauh. 

Saya yakin, semua orang ingin keyakinannya itu dihargai. Dan bukankah Indonesia juga berslogan "Bhineka Tunggal Ika"? yang artinya, berbeda-beda tapi tetap satu. Bukan menyamakan Indonesia.
______________________________________________________________

Ada yang bilang alasannya: "nanti orang lain selain Muslim akan menggoda Iman orang Muslim".
Justru itu adalah cobaan. Setiap manusia pasti mengalami cobaan dan musibah di segala aspek, bahkan di kehidupan sehari-hari.

Saya ilustrasikan Iman sebagai ulangan. Seorang anak gagal di ulangan pertama, lalu ia bekerja keras, belajar tiap hari, hingga ulangan keduanya mendapatkan hasil maksimal. Anak tersebut tidak pernah tau kalau ia memiliki kekuatan untuk bangkit dan berjuang, kalau ia tidak pernah gagal. Got the point?

Jadi godaan dari orang lain selain Muslim itu tidak bisa dijadikan alasan. Ada lagi alasan yang lain?
______________________________________________________________

Disini saya hanya ingin menyadarkan kembali bahwa masyarakat Indonesia itu berbeda-beda, particularly, agamanya dan kita perlu menghormati satu sama lain. Jangan melakukan sesuatu yang merugikan orang lain, hanya demi kepentingan kelompok. Sebelum bertindak, coba dipikirkan apa untungnya buat kita kalau orang lain tau, dan apa dampaknya untuk mereka. Walaupun yang dilakukan itu adalah yang terbaik, tetapi itu hanya terbaik untuk kelompok. Orang lain diluar kelompok tidak akan peduli dengan hal itu. Lalu mengapa tetap juga melakukan sesuatu kepada audience yang tidak peduli?

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Thank you viewers :)

Besides writing my own blog, I also read others. Some of their writing really inspires me, or motivates me in such a way. But then, I didn't realized that there's someone who really read my blog. I thought my blog only pops up when someone search specific words, and they close it right away after they found out that this is not the one they've been looking for.

After a while, I learnt from the stats that some of them are really reading it and the stats are keep increasing from time to time. It really is a surprise for me. My friends that knew this blog also commented that I have a really nice writing and inspiring story.

I feel so glad that someone is inspired or at least they enjoy reading it. It motivates me to keep on writing. 
Although blogging is just another way to share my days, but knowing that people are reading it, I'm thrilled.

Thank you for anyone who reads it :)

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Complicated

Aku terlalu sombong.
Terlalu yakin bahwa aku bisa melewatinya.
Bahwa ini sama dengan yang lainnya.
That I'll be fine and go on.

Tidak pernah sekalipun terbesit dalam pikiranku bahwa aku tidak bisa.
Karena kondisinya akan selalu mendukungku untuk melewatinya, pikirku.

Tapi aku lupa.
Lupa bahwa tidak ada yang tidak mungkin di dunia ini.
Everything's possible.

Ternyata kondisinya mengagetkan.
Kondisinya sangat tidak mendukung.
Kondisinya sangat complicated.

Karena aku tidak pernah memikirkan skenario ini, aku tidak siap.
No back up plans.
I screwed up.

Well, I realized, nothing is ever too late to try.

Aku mencoba untuk sadar.
Dan perlahan melepasnya.

One thing I believe in is that "The storm will eventually pass" and I'll be stronger than ever.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Life's tests

Do you know that life will give you a test that will gets harder and harder along the way?

When you had accomplished one test, you will be able to handle it in case it comes back. So the second time the test comes back, it is not a test for you anymore. Because it's easy for you to get through it. A test is when you find it hard to stand up and sometimes you may feel like giving up.

So, eventually you will get a harder test, which means, you're 'UP' one level. You'll realized that the test is so hard which somewhat impossible to be existed, but it did. And it's there for you to solve it. If you think that it's so hard, take a minute to look back in the past. Recall everything you've been through. Then you'll realized that you've been through a lot, which proves that you're strong enough to handle another test.

And yes, now I'm in the middle of a hard test. I have to step back from something and someone I like, when 'that things' are keep on coming at me. This will not be hard when I don't like it, so it's easy for me to step back. Or even when I like it, but it doesn't like me back, it's also easy to look forward and forget about it. 

But now, when I want to look away, it always coming back at me, makes me weak and holding me from stepping back. I know I need to be strong to fight with my own feelings, which is not easy at all. I am trying to always keep my faith, be patient and pray :). Hopefully I can hang on until it's done.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

'Things will be perfect at a perfect time'

Ever heard that notion? or not exactly like that but has the same meaning. I guess everybody ever heard it before. This words - or you can call it quotes - are used to motivate people when bad things are happening to them. It gives them the strength to let go and wish that there are something better for them in the near future.
I don't know if it works, but sometimes it does works for me. It makes me stop worrying and keep positive about what's happening. And actually here, I want to share that, this quote is really true.

It started when I was in my last year of primary school. I wish two things about how my junior high school life would be: part of an organization, and/or part of a dance club. Well, things turned out differently. There are no dance club and I didn't have a chance to be in an organization, because the teacher should recommend you to get in the organization. So then I let go of my dream and pass it for the senior high school. I wasn't mad, I enjoyed myself learning until I got top position in class.

In senior high school, I moved to Hong Kong. So instead of join any extracurricular activities, I learn my ass off to adapt and graduate in one and a half year. Again, I pass my dream to college.

I was putting a high expectation into college life. Since I'm back into my home town, so no adaption needed and college students are mature enough to make decision about organization. So I expected to have a high chance of making a dream come true. But life does not always giving what you want. The selection to be in an organization is that you need to join a-3-days-2 nights-outside-the-campus- camp. Since in Indonesia is not that safe, I'm a girl and there are no teacher supervising the camp, I'm not allowed to go, which means I'm not be able to join the organization. The same thing happens for the dance club. Life's bitter, I know. And I was thinking that life's not fair. I was kinda mad and blaming the situation, because I was thinking that college is my last chance to make it all happen.

Life is unpredictable, I would say. My plans for getting my master degree was changed, from getting it in Jakarta to Taipei. And surprisingly, in the place where I study now (NTUST) has lots and lots of Indonesian people, which makes it possible to form an Indonesian Student Association (ISA). There's no specific requirement to be a member, so I join it directly, without hesitation. Another blessing is that I was offered to dance Saman. And there are a lot of performing, which I - of course - really enjoyed it.

Now, in my second year, I'm a secretary in NTUST-ISA, a legislative board of ISA in Taiwan and a coordinator of Saman dance club. There goes my dream come true. I'll never imagine any other possible situation that is better that this. I really thank God for all these opportunities and I won't take any of these for granted.

See? It's really happening. As long as you keep trying and not wasting any chances you've got, things will be really perfect at a perfect time.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Second Destination: National Taiwan Science Education Center


It's been a long time since the first time I wrote about my summer vacation. Oh well, now I'll continue. We went to this museum on the third day, because the second day we were too tired. It was Wednesday afternoon, we took a bus from in front of Miramar Mall in Jiannan Rd MRT station to Jiantan MRT station. That bus arrived in every 10 minutes and it is free! After get off the bus, we took MRT to Shilin station. Actually, the place was in between Jiantan and Shilin, but when I saw the map, it is nearer to Shilin station. And well, my choice is correct. It only took few minutes walking and there we are! This time I was so happy and proud to myself that we were finally get to the museum without getting lost or taking an hour walking.

We get there at 3 pm and it is closed at 5 pm. Since it has 6 Floor of exhibition, so we needed to be hurry. You need to pay to come inside. I forget how much, but it's cheap for what you'll get inside. It's totally worth it. They also have a discount fora student in Taipei and a little kid. The ticket fare is different between the weekends and weekday. So when you don't have anything to do, it's better to go in weekday. There will be less people also, so you can look around and play more freely.

We looked around, amazed and took photos as much as we could. There are lots of things that we can play around with. Not only to play with it, but also to learn what is really going on with those simulation and games. It's more like learning while playing. They have English description too, so it's really convenient. It's also really complete, they have all parts of science: Biology, Physics, Chemistry. Everything you want to know about science. Since we have a little amount of time to look every floor, so we plan to go there again. And the next time will be with our parents. Because there are things that we want to share and ask for more explanation. It's so much fun if you go with your family. There are many interesting things to do. The next trip we spent more time and go to the part that we haven't got a chance to go there in the first time.

Another way to go there is to stop by in Jiantan station and walk straight ahead. It's a little further than walking from Shilin station, but if you don't mind walking, then it's a better way, since Jiantan station is nearer to the main city than Shilin station.




Saturday, March 17, 2012

Indonesian Culture Exhibition 2012

Last 2-3 weeks, me and other Indonesian friends in NTUST (National Taiwan University of Science and Technology) was so busy preparing this event. It is all about Indonesian culture. We want others to know more about Indonesia and we might even attract tourists to go to Indonesia. For committee, this is the way we can get together as a team to do something nice for our country, to appreciate and remind us how beautiful our culture is. This event was held on 5-7 March 2012.

On the first and the second day (5th - 6th March), we were having an Exhibition. We have 8 booths which represents 6 biggest islands in Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimatan, Jawa, Bali, Sulawesi and Papua), Edutainment and Culinary. In each island booth, visitors are given the brief information about that island - the traditional clothes and music - and each island has their own unique interactive way. In Edutainment, visitors can take a picture with traditional Indonesian costume, play traditional games, learn how to make "batik" and how to make "ketupat". In Culinary stand, we have lots of Indonesian foods and snacks, such as: "soto", "nasi kuning", "wajik" and others.

On the third day (7th March), in evening, we were having a cultural performance. We gave the audience a story about "The Journey of Gadjah Mada to Unify Nusantara" which we put traditional dances (Jathilan Dance, Saman Dance, Papua Dance, Kecak Dance, Janger Dance and Kayau Dance), choir and "pencak silat" inside the story and in the end, we have a modern dance.

What makes this ICE 2012 different from previous ICE? We have our own theme song originally written by our friend! How nice! I'm really proud of her. The song called "We are Proud Student of Indonesia".

After the performance, we were beyond happy to receive many great compliments, such as: outstanding performance, best performance ever and I'm proud of you guys.
We were really doing a great job. And yes, our 5 months preparation was finally paid off. We were all satisfied, the committee, the performer and the audience. Even though we were far beyond perfect, but we did our best and we reach our target of more than a thousands visitors!

We were really making it happen. We did it! I'm so proud being a part of ICE 2012 team! I'm proud to be Indonesian that has many beautiful and unique culture inside.