My Version of 10 Things I Hate About You

I hate how you beat me in Scrabble or the Sunday crossword puzzle
I hate how you sometimes forget to say thank you to the parking guy or cashier
I hate how you're easily sick
I hate how you play the piano better than I do
I hate how you sometimes test me on general knowledge or use medical terms to explain something
I hate how you can tell that I'm playing spider solitaire or browsing while speaking on the phone with you
I hate how you lie and say that you're staying up late to write your paper, though you're actually playing a computer game
I hate how you sometimes forget to hold the door for me
I hate how you sometimes stare at my blackheads on my forehead instead of my eyes when you talk to me
I hate how you complain annoyingly when the traffic gets bad

However

I adore how you let me change the rules of scrabble so I could win
I adore how you're willing to wait for me to finish work for an hour or more at the mall across my office
I adore how you don't mind going to the movies alone because I changed my mind and decided to attend a meeting
I adore how you never complain about my outfit, even if it makes my ass look huge
I adore how you listen to my rants and give comments without being judgmental
I adore how you apologize first because you don't want us to fight
I adore how you let me window shop at Forever 21 eventhough you have a test the day after
I adore how you let me eat anything I want eventhough I'm already gaining weight and have a double chin
I adore how you understand when I refuse to come to your family gatherings
I adore how you never raise your voice when I'm being such a bitch during my monthly bitchiness.

We both don't know for sure whether I will be by your side when your hair turns gray,
or whether you will be by my side when there are wrinkles on my eyes,
or I will one day delete this post because we have both gone our separate ways.
But one thing I do know for sure,
is that in the here and now,
you have a special place in my heart.

Farewell #2

Had a sleepover with my best friends, lunch with family and friends and dinner with more friends.Received presents from some of them, hugs from most of them and wishes from all of them.
Nearly cried when my friends sang Can't Smile Without You dedicated to me.
We also danced, sing, laughed and said until we meet again.
Such lovely people I have in my life.

Farewell Wishes from friends and family:

A present from my best friends:

Apparently pictures from my camera is in poor quality. I'll post the pictures once my friend has uploaded it on facebook.
: )

Farewell #1

My farewell email on June 30, 2010.

Dear All,

Today is my last day at the office. It’s been such a wonderful experience to be able to work at WBOJ, especially at this Unit with a remarkable team like all of you. Your teamwork and professionalism has taught me a lot on my early career.

I can never say enough thank yous for the opportunity, knowledge, experience and friendship all of you have shared. This past 8 months will surely be a joyful memory for me. I will one day look back and smile because I have got the chance to know all of you, personally and professionally. I wish you all success in life.

With best wishes, warm hug and thank yous,

Deasy Benita Priadi

PS: My personal email is deasy_748@yahoo.com and my phone number is +62-81*-*******, just in case you want to say hi or congratulate me on my birthday. :D

Farewell lunch and dinner with officemates,

Team Picture, a present from Mba Echie:

A present from Mba Nandya and Arief:

One of my boss:

Such remarkable people.

Thank you to Bebeng, Mba Reny, Mba Amel and those of you who took the pictures.

My Imperfect Parents

Growing up, I was under a lot of pressure. Let me give you a brief family background.

My mother's late father was in the army, so her late parents had to move a lot. My mother was taken care by her grandmother who had limited money. When my mother was old enough, as the oldest child she had to take care her 6 siblings. Long story short, it was difficult for my mother to do her hobbies and explore her creativity and potential when she grew up.

My father is one of the brightest guy in his extended family. He also happens to be one of the most successful one, career wise. I think this is one of the reason why he thinks education is more important than breathing. Seriously. There was a period where the only topic he's interested in discussing is how we're doing in school.

My older sister inherits most of my father's gene. She was only 4 years old when she entered elementary school. She was a bright student in her school years, there was even her picture in her junior high yearbook, in which the caption underneath it says "Big Five Highest Score".

Since as long as I can remember, my school days were busy with all kinds of lessons. I was learning from sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday, sometimes Sunday. I used to envy my classmates because they were able to sleep in the afternoon and watch cartoon in the evening.

Mojacko, the cartoon I can't watch.

I was sick and tired with all my lessons. I cried a lot to my parents, asking their permission to let me quit. I did quit some of the lessons, but they never let me quit my English and piano lessons. I enjoyed none of it, my lessons became a burden.

Moreover, I was doing bad in high school. I had to do remedials in every test I take. My parents compared my grades to my sister's. It was really depressing at that time. I was also told by my conservative father that I have to be accepted at a public university, which is highly competitive and seems to be impossible for me considering my grades was going down the drain. The ultimatum I got is public university or not going to college at all. I studied really hard not because I wanted to learn, but because I was terrified I won't go to college.

This or That. Other Public Universities are too far from Jakarta.

My mother once explained the reason why my sisters and I were given many lessons is because she wants her children to experience things she couldn't when she was young. Furthermore, my father just want his children to succeed. As simple as that.

My parents' reasons are classic, I guess every parents has a similar reason. Nothing special.
I only understood just recently, as I grow older. Right now, I have nothing to regret at the choices they made for me. I'm happy that I can play the piano, I'm happy with my almamater, I'm happy with what I am. I would never blame my parents for my pressured childhood nor change anything in my past.

It took me my whole life to really understand the way I was raised. However, I guess understanding my parents imperfection is a lifetime process. They're human afterall, they sure make mistakes every once in a while. There will always be a time where I question their decision and argue about it.
People who truly love you may depress you in some ways, but they just want what they think is best and never mean any harm. They just have strange ways to express their love.
This is one thing I learned from my imperfect parents.

My Dearly Beloved Imperfect Bunda

My Personal Oasis

I am more than lucky to have a life the way I have right now.

I have a family who will always be there,
I have friends in good and bad,
I have a roof above my head,
I'm financially secure,
my brain doesn't fail me most of the times,
and I'm just grateful.

People around me are also almost always nice to me. I don't know whether it's because I'm nice to them, or they're just that kind of people who don't show their dislike.
I live in my personal oasis where it's inhabited by those I love and love me back.
I used to think there's nothing wrong with this, but as I'm getting older, I start to think about it.

I have just graduated, and the real world is waiting out there to be conquered,
and I'm scared.

The world is starting to show their fangs and suddenly I have to come out from my oasis and face the storm to pursue my dreams.
As much as I want to continue my studies abroad, the thought of living all alone in a place completely new and with people whose first language is different than mine makes me scared.
I was scared when I got a job interview in an international NGO and found out that the interviewers are expats. I'm scared that I won't fulfill their expectations because I don't have much to offer, being a 21 year old fresh-graduate with lack of experience.
Seeing people die, also made me scared if I have to lose someone I truly love in my life.

Then I started to realize,
it's okay to lose someone,
it's okay to fail,
it's okay to live alone,
it's okay to experience storm in your life,

because it makes you stronger, and less things will scare you.

I guess it is important for your personal growth to come out from your oasis once in a while, and experience how brutal the desert can be. Once you get past the storm, there will be another bigger and better oasis out there waiting to be inhabited.

Tomorrow is my first day of work. My first real job.
I must admit that I'm scared.
Good bye oasis.
I'll be seeing you soon, yes?
Bismillah..

Taken from environmentalgraffiti.com

Concert With a Cause

I have been a concert enthusiast since I was still in Senior High School. My first concert was Craig David in 2003. After watching him live, I became obsessed with concerts and festivals. My heart beats faster and I can be caught smiling to myself everytime I find out an International musician I like will come to Indonesia. I can say that Adrie Subono and Peter Gontha are my heroes in music. Kidding.

In 2005, I heard about the Live 8 concerts. There were ten concerts held in industrial countries with performances from more than 1000 top-notch musicians, including Mariah Carey and Madonna. I was really excited to see the show on TV since it was impossible for me to see it live.

I looked for more information on the internet about the artist line-up when I stumbled upon the official Live 8 website. The concert was organized in the intention to support UK's Make Poverty History campaign and watched by approximately 3 billion people worldwide. It succeeded in raising awareness about poverty issues in Africa. Not only that, the concert also accomplished it's goal to make G8 leaders give more money to poor countries.

Growing up in a country where many of it's people live under US$2 a day makes me extremely concerned with poverty issues. I sometimes feel helpless because I couldn't do much when I see people eating from trash cans or children selling newspapers on a school hour. The concept of organizing a huge concert in different parts of the earth for a noble cause amazes me. Live 8 would certainly not exist if the British didn't establish the Make Poverty History campaign. This event is an inspiration for me to apply to UK universities for my master's degree and experience firsthand how it's education can create people who are concerned with humanity issues, and are actually doing something about it. I believe we need more people with qualities like that.

Check out this video of Live 8 concert in London

The Government of Indonesia

If you see the news, Indonesia seems like a fucked up country. With all the bombings, corruption, and poverty, no wonder Indonesia receives so much publicity. Bad ones.
And then, people start to blame the government. The government of Indonesia has a very bad image. But are they actually that bad? Do they actually take care of this country? Let me tell you this:

My father is part of the government.

Objectively speaking, I think this country is in good hands.
My father graduated from the best engineering school in Indonesia. A couple of years after he graduated, he decided to be a government official. He received a scholarship from his office and pursued a master's degree and PhD in one of the best universities in the mid west, U.S.A, and graduated cum laude.
There are many Indonesians who received scholarships from the government of Indonesia to study abroad but decided not to go back to Indonesia. I can understand them, since living abroad offers more chances to have a better living and optimize their knowledge.
But this is not the case with my father. He came back to build this country.

Now, my father is in his 50's, and he's pretty much in the peak of his career. He's also a workaholic. That should be the reason why he's not around much.
Most of the days, he leaves around 08.00 and comes home around 22.30. He sometimes work in the weekends. He manages one ninth of his office, so his staff works as hard as he does.
Thanks to his needy boss, it's very difficult for him to have a day off. If I go for a family vacation, he's only around in the last few days or in the weekend. Our last family vacation was in 2007. It was a pilgrimage journey, and we had to reschedule three times to get a slot at his hectic schedule.

My father and I once had this conversation,

Me : Dad, why do you have to come home so late at night? Is there so much work to be done?
Dad: Yes, there is. I'm constantly tired now. I'm even too tired to take a shower when I get home.
Me : ...
Dad: Do you remember our road trip when you were little?
Me : Yes.
Dad : That road trip is a reminder for me. At least when I had the time and energy, I was with my family a lot. That should be a reminder for you too.
Me: ...
Dad: I feel guilty you know, for being away from you, your sisters, and your mother a lot.
Me: ...(Starting to get teary eyed)..

Maybe some of the government officials are busy making themselves rich, but some of them are actually doing an excellent job. My father is sacrificing his family to take care of this country, but this will never be enough for those Indonesians who keep criticizing the government.
Go ask yourself, what have you done for the good of this country?

It's 23.00 right now, and my father is still not home.

The road trip when I was little.
The time when my father had the time and energy.

I love you, Ayah.