7 7 07

Hi Lian,

It’s been 3 times of your birthday anniversary celebrate without you though you’re still in my heart for always. Everything’s changing now. I know that you’re still watching me from up above but sometimes I want to tell you by myself with my own standpoint.
Apologize for breaking your rules sometimes. I am only a man…
Hey, I have a lot of progression in my life… I have some new friends. I have a new environment… and I have a new heart state… I changed a little bit some decorations in home… Yup, I know that you could comprehend everything.
I still keep calling your Papa and Mama. So far I know, they are all fine and they really love me and support me when I got the problems.

Ok Lian. I love you so much and can’t wait the time to see you again… Miss you like crazy, Mami

Perempuan di titik nol...

Dapat email hari ini ada pertunjukan "Monolog Teater Satu Lampung PEREMPUAN DI TITIK NOL karya Nawal el-Saadawi ".
Saya teringat perempuan saya dulu cerita "samar-samar" mengenai novel ini. Sungguh menyesal, kenapa dulu tidak menyempatkan secara "sembunyi-sembunyi" untuk ikut membacanya dan mencoba berdialog (tidak bermonolog) dengannya sambil riuh-rendah karena pasti akan sangat menyenangkan...

Tapi mungkin selalu saja ada alasan untuk lagi-lagi tidak mengikutinya dengan tidak adanya waktu luang untuk melihat pertunjukan monolog tadi. Selalu saja... Mungkin dia cuman tersenyum dan bilang: "... Ya kamu memang kamu..." Dan saya akan menjawab juga sambil tersenyum: "...Iya, makanya terangin aja deh. Kamu yang bermonolog di depanku..."
Yaahhh, perempuan di titik nol. Katanya ini berkisar pada suatu kondisi seorang perempuan yang dihukum mati karena "mereka" takut membiarkannya hidup. "Mereka" tahu bahwa selama dia masih hidup, "mereka" tidak akan aman, bahwa dia akan membunuh "mereka". Hidupnya berarti kematian "mereka" dan kematiannya berarti hidup "mereka". Dan dia telah menang atas keduanya: KEHIDUPAN dan KEMATIAN, karena dia sudah tidak lagi punya hasrat untuk hidup dan juga tidak lagi merasa takut akan mati. Dia tidak mengharapkan apa-apa, dia tidak takut apa-apa...

Akhirnya, saya juga tidak pernah tahu alasan perempuan saya cerita tentang ini di suatu hari itu, dan bagaimana menerjemahkan pada saat yang tepat pada kondisi yang dia inginkan. Yang saya tahu, dia masih ada hasrat untuk mencintai dan terus menaungi saya dimanapun saya berada, karena dia selalu bernyanyi, bersenda-gurau dan bermain...

Hi there from Maggie...

Hi Amrul,

Fantastic news about your job. Well done you. It's good that the package they are offering you is attractive financially and good for your career progression.

Apologies that I haven't written back to you earlier. Thanks for the lovely photo you sent through with your last mail. You are looking veryfit and well...long may it continue that way.

Things have been relatively quiet here since the beginning of the year. Simon was in Oman for 5 days a few weeks ago and he was away for most of last week, although he was in the UK. He may be off to New Jersey in the USA in a few weeks time, but this has still to be confirmed. He wants me to go there with him. I'm tempted as I have a friend who lives in New Jersey and I've never been across to see her. She moved there with her husband 11 years ago and I really miss her. Her husband works for JPMorgan in New York. She was a great friend to me, especially after my Dad died (20 years ago!). She had already lost her Dad and therefore understood what it was like to lose someone so special. You never forget those who help you through the bad/sad times!. When Simon knows for definite about New Jersey, I'll make a decision as to whether I will join him there for a few days. The hotel will be paid for as he will have a double room paid for by his company, so I will just need to pay for my Flight and food etc.

Have you planned your next holiday? We have been talking about what we will be doing this year. We will definitely go to France in the summer but we have been thinking of maybe spending the first week in Germany visiting Simon's sister and her family. We will probably take my neice and nephew with us as well...that's if they want to come along. We know that as they get older they will feel less inclined to go on holiday with their old Auntie and Uncle! We are making the most of their company while we can!
I really enjoy taking them away as they appear to have so much fun. We got a lot of pleasure from seeing them having happy times.

Well Amrul...got a few more chores to do before I leave for the evening.
It was good to hear from you again.

Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

Lots of love,
Maggie xx

New Year...New Job (?)...New Girl (?)...New Life (?)

Hi Amrul,

Great to hear from you.

Really pleased to hear about the job situation. Hope they suitably reward you with a nice attractive salary and benefits. I take it you will be starting the new role in the early part of next year. Good Luck in the new job and well done on your success.

So no pretty lady on the horizon as yet!
It will happen when its supposed to happen. You are still very young and working hard on establishing your career.
When the time is right, 'Miss Right' will knock on your door.
Honestly, the more you look the less likely you are to find someone. Just let it happen in its own time.
I know it's hard when you don't have someone in your life, especially as we draw close to the New Year.

Are you going home to your parents over the Festive Season?
We will probably go up to Simon's parents on Christmas Day and then perhaps to my Sister's house on Boxing Day. I'm back to work the following day. We are going up to Kent, which is on the South East coast of England, to celebrate the New Year with some very good friends. I'm really looking forward to that.

Greece is a lovely country. I've been to Crete and Corfu although this was over 15 years ago. The lifestyle is so relaxed and the food is lovely. I've never been to Athens but I would imagine that the pace of life is much faster there.
London is a typical city and would be an entirely different type of holiday from a Greek Island....also very expensive. We live 120 miles from London. I've been there several times on business trips but have not as yet been up there on holiday. There are many sights to see and one day Simon and myself will go up for a day or 2 to go round all of the various sights like the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace etc.

Music...I like all sorts although I have to confess that I have never heard of evanescence. Some of my workmates have though. I like most music except for Heavy Metal..that's not my scene at all. I bought Simon a CD for his Birthday. It was 'Twelve Stops and Home' by 'The Feeling'. I really like it and the sound reminds me of the Beatles, in their younger years. Way before you were born!
I also like K T Tunstall, James Morrison, and many more. I love listening to music, especially when I am doing work around the house.

We have been very busy for the last 3 weeks decorating our house. We have decorated the lounge, our bedroom and the hallway. It was really hard work as we were burning old paint off of all of the woodwork with a heatgun as well as painting walls etc. We had new carpets fitted in all 3 places last Thursday so we had to have all of the work completed by last Wednesday evening. Some mornings we were up till 4:30a.m. and then I was working a normal day from 9a.m. at JPMorgan. We also had friends coming to visit us for the weekend so we didn't really relax until Sunday evening when our
friends had gone back home. I have to say that I am very very tired this week, I think last week's long days/nights have finally caught up with me and my body is telling me that I need to try and catch up on my sleep! I fell asleep on the sofa last night, which is unheard of for me, then I was upstairs in bed by 10p.m. This is earlier than normal for me as it is generally around midnight when I get to bed.

I have my work Christmas Party tomorrow night. We are going into town for a meal and then we are going to one of the new Wine Bars in town. Should be a good night. Some are leaving for town straight after work (5pm) but I won't be going in until possibly 7p.m. I'm working the following day so I won't be drinking too much alcohol!

Will you be going out with your work colleagues for a celebration meal before the year end?

Anyway Amrul, must get some more work done.

Look after yourself and if I don't hear from you, have a lovely time over the Festive Season and loads of good wishes for 2007.

Take Care,


Maggie xxx

Beberapa definisi menarik...

Competence: deskripsi dan ukuran dari knowledge, skills & behaviors yang mendefinisikan performance yg diharapkan dari seseorang.

Knowledge: pemahaman atas fakta, teori dan konsep.

Skills: Aplikasi knowledge utk melakukan tasks.

Assessment: Process utk mengidentifikasikan apakah seseorang memenuhi deskripsinya, dan mengukur competence yg dispesifikasikan utk posisi tsb.

Training: Tindakan yang meng-enhance knowledge atau skills dari seseorang utk mendukung pengembangan kompetensi.

Auld Lang Syne (Times Gone By)

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll get your pint mug !
And surely I’ll get mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
...

We two have run about the hills,
and pulled the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
...

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
...

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-friendly draught,
for auld lang syne.
...

Negative Capability

Menarik membaca blog teman tentang "Arti Kehidupan".
Intinya ditulis bahwa: arti kehidupan adalah mencari dan menemukan arti kehidupan itu sendiri.
Kalau kita tarik kesimpulannya, ini adalah sikap istiqomah, sustainable, terus-menerus berusaha tanpa kenal berhenti dengan penuh antusiasme. Dengan guru yang terbaiknya adalah pengalaman dan ilmu (Ayahku menambahkan: etika!). Karena memang sikap putus-asa itu tidak diperbolehkan.

Lalu saya baca juga tulisan yang mengatakan bahwa tujuan hidup kita itu selayaknya adalah TO BE bukan TO HAVE. Karena dengan menjadi TO BE, kita bisa memiliki kekuatan yang disebut negative capability: kesanggupan untuk berdamai dengan ketidakpastian, misteri dan keraguan dalam hidup. Tanpa menghikmati misteri, manusia memaksakan absolutisme sebagai respons ketakutan atas kompleksitas kehidupan dunia.

Mungkin memang dalam hidup ini, kita harus selalu lebih tulus, lebih humble, lebih empati, lebih etis, lebih menurunkan ego. Tapi tetap dengan semangat kerja dan disiplin yang tinggi.

Akhlaq

GusDur: kunci akhlaqul karimah dari Rasulullah SAW adalah bisa menempatkan orang lain pada tempatnya.
Utamakan kepentingan orang lain daripada kepentingan diri sendiri.
Teruslah berusaha dalam hati dan tindakan (sesuai antara ucapan dan tindakan) untuk selalu menunjukkan akhlaq yang bagus, supaya nantinya bisa mengerti dan meneruskan serta menyempurnakan akhlaq kita.

Ramadhan 2006 - 1

Mumpung ingat dan masih sempat, mencoba untuk menulis ulang hal-hal yang dirasa baik untuk dijadikan pelajaran di bulan Ramadhan ini.

1. Surat Ali Imran 92: "Kamu tidak akan mendapatkan kebajikan sebelum mendermakan sebagian harta yang kamu cintai."
2. Asas hidup untuk pegangan manusia: asas taqwa kepada Allah SWT dan keinginan mencapai ridha-Nya.
3. Surat Al-Hajj ayat 36: "Maka makanlah sebagiannya dan beri makanlah kepada orang-orang yang perlu."

Jangan kita berhenti hanya kepada hal-hal yang lahiriah, yang sering disebut sebagai kesalehan formal, hal yang sering kali mengecoh atau menipu, bahkan sangat rentan terhadap kekeliruan. Hal ini tidak berarti bahwa yang lahir itu tidak penting. Rasul pernah bersabda: "Yang lahir itu bisa menjadi indikasi dari apa yang ada dalam yang batin."
Namun, yang primer tetaplah batin, yang maknawi, real dan esensial.