Disconnected to Connect

I was sitting in a yellow-red color fast food chain restaurant with a friend last week. We were eating chicken nuggets and fries while having a nice talk. We both didn't bring our phones on purpose and turned out it feels great. Well, it was only an hour, but I enjoyed every bit of it. We disconnected ourselves. 

We didn't worry about the unread chats, the unpressed love button, and all social things that technology offered to connect, or no, but to disconnect. 

Besides, what social about social media? 

Yes, we socialize on social media. Yes, we get values of social changing. Yes, we can access anything we want. But, do we understand things? That is happening around us? Or we get a less understanding? 

As we make a favorable impression that we build ourselves for others to see as an image. As we get an evaluation of multiple images after we practice what we preach as a reputation. As we get networks, as we build relations. As we communicate as social beings. As the communication is intentional, manifested in what we call social media.

I used to be very ignorant to my phone, and now I can't. I miss myself in a year ago, when I didn't have to hold my phone all around because I just hate it, when I just kept my phone off in my backpack at the campus, when I was peacefully happy even if my phone is nowhere to be found, and all that is when I haven't got the responsibility as a social media strategist in my community. 

It's not that I don't put my heart on what I am doing, but somehow, I want to take a break from it. I want to connect with the world, with humans in my circle, with my mom, with myself. I try to be professional as I could, while it's not just about competence, but attitude and commitment. Then I ask myself, why did you undertake it at the beginning? 

Everyone thought that being a social media strategist is an easy thing to do, but no, trust me dude, at least for me. Moreover, I skipped details and things that I should post on my community's social media in recent days. I don't know how to uplift my mood to maximizing the social media as a marketing tool. Mom keeps telling I'm busy so that I'm not focusing, but I believed that there's no such a word as busy, but productive, as we can manage our time well. Maybe I just lose my retention on how to manage my time in a right way, but I'm just so qualm of my routines. 

Tired is having no time to disconnect and I'm tired. I want to throw away my phone out of my life into the deep sea. The end.

Fantasy Sweethearts

Hola!

Last Monday, I finally make a time to go to a solo exhibition by Melissa Sunjaya, it's Bio Fantasy: A Tribute to Chairil Anwar, in Galeri Salihara. Yes, Melissa, the lady behind Tulisan. I'm having a great expectation on her work in the exhibition because I adored Tulisan for years ago. 

The entrance: Opening remarks by Melissa

And besides, I was attending #17anTempo Merayakan Chairil Anwar on August 15th, but I didn't really enjoy it. It's not that the event was not good, no, it was good. You know, it was an outdoor event, with A LOT of people there, very packed and crowded. I could say that it was kinda like a concert for me and I never enjoyed that kind of thing. I was happy to meet all the Indonesian ministers and actors, it's just that the ambience was not so melodious that I expected, but they did a good poetry reading though. One thing kept me entertained, the sarcastic jokes they did lol yeah.

Abstract artworks and science-fictions in once

Eyegasm for a day

Back to Bio Fantasy thingy, I went there with two of my friends from UMN TV, Barnez and Rana, and also made up to meet my two junior high school sweethearts, Afu and Inne, at the Pasar Minggu Station. 

The research

Yes, I love Melissa's work, very impressive. I adore her. I think she already met Chairil before because I feel the connection. I'm loving the idea, the cells, the color, the handwriting, everything!

The red lens and the catalog

I mesmerized for quite a long time. Paying attention to all details, animates one by one. Even Inne, the one who never goes to such an exhibition like this admitted that it's interesting for her. Behind the beautiful artworks, there's a fragment sentence of Chairil's poetry. We can see it through the red lens we got at the entrance of the exhibition, as the installation that art is ambiguous, art is multi-interpretations. It was a very nice experience for me. 

One of my favorites

And I'm just as blushing as Melissa when I read this

I love how Melissa pours her honest and sincere heart in all and generate such a beauty. I stunned. She proves and answered herself the myth of Chairil Anwar, is he really the legendary Indonesian poet like everyone saying? Or is he simply a man who smokes like his well-known portrait?

Hail artists!

In addition to that, the gallery was so peaceful. It lets my mind go wild, serene, serene. And not to forget, i-n-s-p-i-r-a-t-i-o-n-. I got it, a lot.

Captured by Rana while I looked up to Kabar dari Laut

Melissa's strong passion in petite cells plus Chairil's rebellious-charismatic mind in poetries. Both of them merges so nicely, spreading out the marriage of their works so well. Love struck. All I can say, go see yourself. I even want to move the exhibition to my house so I can get eyegasm everytime I wake up.

It's a 8 years and still counting friendship!

(minus Maul and Vanda)

Left to right:

Afu-Inne-Me

UMN TV fellas!

Left to right:

Me-Barnez-Rana

We spent 3.5 hours at Galeri Salihara. It was worth to spare our time there and worth the pain of standing for so long in the train lol. Definitely a self-soothing treatment for me after a not-so-holiday activity at the campus that makes me very saturated. I'm relieved.

Good friends, good trip, good experience, I'm blessed that my friends from different places got a chance to know each other. Thank you my angels for the lovely day! Until our next one!

And a quote by Melissa as a closing of this post:

Toodles people!

Night Thoughts

Meriang

Jari-jari kakiku mengerut tak biasanya. Dingin, dingin, menyapa hingga ke urat. Memetik udara, mengendus, mematung aku dalam niskala. Kulebarkan sayap mata ke arah mana saja, tak menentu, sampai henti di laci berisi berkas angan yang apik tersenyum.

Cahaya, gelap, kejut, tenang, apa yang terlintas menjadi satu. Ada yang bertanya, "Siapa aku?". Lalu dijawab, "Tuhan saja kau tak tahu." Jahat semua yang kutahu. Mengenal menjadi hal sebodoh itu! Mengapa dunia penuh bias? Ataukah manusia? Asing adalah bising. Riak dalam riang yang membuat siapa pun mengerang, tetapi aku memilih menjadi maniak.

Peta yang sejak dulu tak pernah mudah 'tuk dibaca. Bila kita pergi, entah naik apa, kita akan tetap kembali pada tubuh yang sama. Rahasia adalah penunjuk jalan. Namun, tak tahu apa-apa tentang kebenaran. Apa yang membuatmu berjalan? Apakah kelam pada siang? Ataukah terangnya malam? Padahal siang dan malam adalah gemini. Jangan suap aku dengan bosan yang bernama perbedaan.

Langit pengus, bermata api, menyulut emosi. Mulutku bergidik memandang apa yang ditawarkan. Apakah ini definisi menawan? Bukan jawaban, lagi-lagi aku malah diserang, "Coba jelaskan.". Begitukah pengartianmu? Sungguh, biar aku camkan, ini bukan penantian yang sembarangan. 

Hidup bukanlah teman, aku adalah lawan.

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Having a semester break makes me a late night person, a thinker (more than I should), and a happy eater (a warm welcome to chubbier cheek). Even though, this semester break doesn't mean holiday at all, it's a running championship that no one will be winning. Worry not, I will survive (later).

I'm at my saturation point (again) and I think it's my first one in this year, so please don't judge. I know there are lots of things that I should be grateful for, but I just don't feel connected with the world, or even myself now. I'm kind of thirsty, gimme a drink, a drink that will fulfill. Life's so funny that I can't barely laugh. Not even a bit. 

Would the universe give me a chance to break? Because a voice in me once said that there's no time and no way to quit. And excuse me, I'm eating my muse right now. Pardon.

Here's a tip (for myself, and probably you):

Nighty night, night people.