satisVication

I called it "satisvication". It doesn't imply anything, except the acronym I made, stand for "SATurday In feStiVIty of Culture, Art, hisTory-SensatION". Haha =)

This Saturday, a group of NOHA (Network of Humanitarian Action) Visiting Scholar, mostly from Europe, joined with us, program coordinators and staffs from Office of International Affairs, UGM to spend the lovely Saturday to celebrate the preciousness of culture, art, and history.

First, we went to Imogiri, Bantul district, southern part of Yogyakarta province. We had a pilgrimage in Royal cemetary, a traditional resting place of Sultanese of Surakarta and Yogyakarta. Interesting pieces for me are, first, the brilliance idea of Sultan Agung on how he put the concept of this cemetary. There is always a great philosophy on it, meaning of beyond and within things. Second, the value of stepping forward and higher. I define as the need of process, takes times, willingness, efforts, and target. Third, "we can make it, if we want it". Before 'hiking', the guide told us how many level of floors. At the beginning, maybe we are doubt about making it or not. But if we want it and enjoy it, we fight our hesitation and win with satisfication.

When we had to step down the floors, I really felt like running. I liked it. It made me feel lighter and easier to get to the bottom floor. But friends stopped me to do so. They warned me if I could fall down and get injured. So, although I have independent thinking, but the social consequences costs more.

Next, we headed to Prambanan, to see "The Ramayana Ballet". It was my first time seeing the performance in Prambanan. My previouse one is in 'Ratu Boko Temple'. We also had a dinner in the Prambanan complex with such a loving yet nice nuance and atmosphere. Interesting pieces are, people were so excited about having dinnner, but then they complained that the food taste isn't as costly as the prize. For me, since the food are free, it tasted okay, and I am thankful to taste a lot different things. What can we expect from the presence of food. Enough for me.

Ramayana Ballet Performance. There are many tourist spent much money to enjoy the performance. Many visitors from another city and province as well. After a while longing for a seat, finally I sat next to, and among foreign tourists who seem enjoyed the performance. The tourists on my right side, focused on capturing the scene of the performance, using his SLR camera, while the foreigner on my right side, paid most attention only to the stage, even rarely blinking.

This cultural performance and the foreign tourist gazing grabbed me to the experience when I was also being a foreigner and enjoy the kind of art and culural performance. I amaze how art and culture binding people together with appreciation and amazeness. People can have different understanding and interpretaion, but we appreciate this form of creativity and expression.

When we see, we even compare things. Normal. We did many times, including to compare the performance. Based on my previous experience seeing 'Rama-Shinta storyline' performance, What I got, first, it's different. Compare means value, which I can value that the performance tonight was paid much more so the quality of performance needs to exercise and improve more.

I also concerned about regeneration. For the sake of cultural heritage, I think we really need to preserve and regenerate this kind of practical art and culture.

dont look at us!! look at how beautiful background we had. sorry for the blurry pics.

The Highlight News Last Night was:

OOps! I did it (again)! Pathetic side of me!

"The fool one is one who falls into the same hole, again, and again."

Why, I never learned from my previous precedent! That I can call PATHETIC!

Thank you my dear friends who always understanding and helping me out!

Regards, _Kf_

UQ Visit to UGM

The University of Queensland Visit to Universitas Gadjah Mada

Yogyakarta, May 4th 2010

This is one of my duties as Program Coordinator for Australia Region in the Office of International Affairs, UGM. I have to in charge of all arrangements and agendas during the university partners visit to UGM. Afterwards, I have to keep in progress with cooperation and partnership initiated. The activity during the University Queensland (UQ) Delegation Visit can be read in OIA website.

After Official Meeting with Rector and UQ Presentation about 'Building an Excellence Research Activity', UQ celebrated Centenary Event by inviting UGM Senior Executives and UQ Alumnies to have lunch reception in Bogey’s Teras at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Yogyakarta.

This is OIA Team for UQ Visit to UGM. Thank you guys for your great effort and contribution to make such a successful program. The delegation seemed delighted and impressed with our hard-work. Looking forward to welcoming another Australian university partners hearty.

Best regards,

Di Balik Dies Natalies UGM ke-60

Saya ingin menuliskan cerita dan pengalaman saya beberapa bulan yang lalu. Daripada hanya mengendap dalam otak dan tersisa menjadi memori-memori pribadi, lebih baik saya berbagi- supaya bisa menjadi inspirasi untuk terus bermimpi. Dies Natalies UGM ke-60 terasa sangat spesial bagi saya. Saya bersyukur dan merasa beruntung hadir di tengah orang-orang besar, yang sukses dalam karir dan profesinya. Rasa bangga terutama karena berada di antara mereka yang sangat concern terhadap masa depan bangsa ini.

Saya tiba-tiba tertawa kelu. Menertawakan diri sendiri ketika mencoba mengingat kembali jawaban spontan saya kala itu. Dan sampai saat ini saya masih pada pendirian yang sama, menimbang dan bertanya-tanya sendiri, 'apa ada yang salah dengan pilihan jawaban saya itu'. Tatkala itu saya menemani dua orang kenamaan yang telah membesarkan nama Indonesia di kancah internasional. Agar lebih akrab dan mengenal lebih baik lagi, kami saling mengakrabkan diri dengan pertanyaan yang lebih personal. Beliau pun menanyakan tentang diri saya, termasuk tentang jurusan. Saya pun menjawabnya. Kemudian mereka menyebutkan dua profesi yang yang mereka harapkan dan amini untuk menjadi pilihan profesi saya. Karena sebuah doa yang baik, saya pun mengamininya dalam kata. Berapa menit kemudian, beliau menanyakan apa cita-cita saya. Entah, secara spontan saya menjawab “menjadi ibu rumah tangga yang baik…”. Hee =). Mereka pun hanya diam tak berkomentar. Sebenarnya penjelasan tentang cita-cita saya itu belum lengkap. Menjadi ibu rumah tangga yang baik yang…, …., …

Kemudian saya pun mengantarkan kedua tamu UGM ke perhelatan agung di Keraton dalam acara "HB IX Award" yang diberikan kepada dua akademisi UGM yang dianggap berkontribusi terhadap masyarakat dan bangsa ini. Event ini menghadirkan Sri Sultan HBX, segenap pimpinan tinggi rektorat, fakultas dan tamu-tamu Rektor dan Sultan. Belum sampai selesai acara, saya mendapat sms yang meminta saya mengantar dua orang tamu UGM tersebut untuk undur diri lebih dahulu. Yang saya salute malam itu adalah walaupun mereka berdua adalah orang besar, namun tetap menjaga etika dan sopan santun, agar terlihat tidak ‘melukai’ perasaan orang lain karena pamit terlebih dahulu. Saya pun merekomendasikan agar lewat pintu belakang agar tidak terlihat oleh banyak orang dan lebih sopan tentunya. Alhasil, saya pun mendapat pujian karena inisiatif saya itu.

Setelah mengantar salah satu tamu ke satu hotel terkenal di Jogja, tempat beliau dan istri menginap, Bapak yang satu meminta saya dan pak sopir berbalik lagi ke arah Taman Budaya Yogyakarta (TBY), karena telah membuat janji dengan kawan spesialnya di Jogja. Saya pun diajak menemui orang special ini. Susasana di TBY masih lumayan ramai. Padahal waktu sudah bergerak hampir menyentuh angka 12 malam. Karena memang saat itu sedang ada Biennale Festival, salah satunya di TBY. Kami pun bertemu orang yang telah lama menunggu. Tidak lama, hanya beberapa menit. Mengingat dia perempuan dan rumahnya jauuh di Bantul. Mereka hanya saling bertanya kabar secara singkat dan membuat janji lagi untuk esok.

Saya pun masih penasaran dengan wanita berambut panjang berkulit sawo matang dan mempunyai aura yang kuat itu. Usianya sekitar 30 tahunan akhir atau mungkin juga awal 40-an. Dalam perjalanan pulang ke rumah rektor di kompleks dosen Bulaksumur (karena memang Bapak tersebut 'stay' di situ selama di UGM). Bapak tersebut menceritakan bahwa ibu tadi merupakan seniman terkenal di Indonesia, bahkan di mancanegara. Lukisannya bahkan sudah mewarnai berbagai galeri seni dan festival di berbagai penjuru dunia. Dia pun sudah menjelajahi dunia, terbang bersama lukisannya, mulai dari kota seni di Paris, Roma, Venezia, sampai Amerika Serikat dan berbagai negara di kawasan lain.

Kemudian Bapak itu juga menceritakan bahwa salah satu lukisan ibu itu dijadikan gambar dalam cover buku terbarunya. Lukisan yang dijadikan salah satu gambar cover tersebut sangat unik karena memuat huruf Arab pegon, bertuliskan "I LOVE YOU'. Di akhir ceritanya, sang Bapak berpesan kepada saya, "Sebagai wanita, kamu harus bercita-cita tinggi dan menjadi apa yang kamu inginkan." Nasehat lain yang masih terpatri di hati saya adalah, "Untuk menjadi orang yang sukses atau ahli di bidangnya. Resep pertama yang harus kita punyai adalah : RASA SENANG. Jadi intinya, kita harus menyenangi dan menjiwai pekerjaan kita atau apa pun yang kita kerjakan."

Baik Pak saya masih belajar untuk meramu resep tersebut. Terimakasih banyak.

Best regards, -KF

DREAMs and SKRIPSYalala

Weekend supposedly being a great time to have a spare time to 'pleasure'-ing ourself. That's not applied for some PCs who had a meeting today, talking about our BIG 'DREAM'. The progress seems slow but sure (hopeful). Yeah, we still tried to conceptualize the programs, sponsorship, proposal, recruitment, budget, and so on. Saturday morning-almost afternoon, we met up in front of Office of International Affairs, UGM Main Building, South Wings, second floor. Seriously? in front of the office, since no one of us had a key to open the door.

I myself came a bit later when already found out four of my friends there sat down (*lesehan) and discussed things. We merely dealed with DREAM preparation, but sometimes we also joked, had intermezzo, gossipped, and laughed, at the end. They often laughed at me when spontaneously words came out from my mouth. Most time I didn't understand the reason what being so funny. But it feels so refreshing when they laughed, I laughed, and we all laughed. We really need hillarious atmosphere to entertain our serious world that force us to deal with overload-work, project, and problem. It feels like a brief instant escape from those burdens.

DREAMs. Ough, our big project with a big target. I knew that we can make it since I trusted my friends capacities. But surely we can't work alone. We need a strong teamwork to make it done successfully. We need to FOCUS. But I can't imagine what happens if everyone focused on their other priorities that's more important and related to FUTURE!! "Dear friends, I am sure with your full of ZEST, you can do both, or even more, quite well!!"

People said that 'logic can't work without logistic'. We couldn't agree more on that. Since we're so hungry, we decided to continue our meeting in 'Warung Sederhana' and still discussing about DREAM and also other lighter talk. I had sate padang for my meal. So did Pupu and Timur. Mbak Michelle had nasi padang and ayam, while the original Padang guy, Mas Heru, had nasi padang with rendang and teri. Ehmm. Padang food fulfilled our hunger.

You know what? Today discussion really reminded me of my Dad's advice, about my next SKRIPSYalala. I even heard most my friends said that it was SKRIPS(h)It. They thought that it was like a shit. I myself dont want to say so because if i think so, I am sure it will influence my self-inconsciousness to think so. Then, it will be so. So, I am trying to make it happy, by saying it is my SKRIPSyalala.. Wow, suddenly I also think that it can work as a SKRIPSialalala which has a bad word also (sial). So, I dont want whataver unlucky situation will be. That is why I used (Y) instead of (I) on my 'SKRIPSYalala'

My Dad is right, somehow. He taught me about the importance of preparation. He reminded me that if I want to achieve good things, I have to be prepared. Wise word even said, "Fail to prepared means prepare to failed'. So I gotta watch out. Sooner is better. I better think now when everything is still in calm, not in chaos, not underpressure. Bismillah.