It was Steve Jobs, I remember,
who said,
“Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.”
It came to me lately this uneasy feeling that I’m not quite able to explain, even to myself.It’s not necessarily haunting, but it does follow me everywhere. It’s been weeks, if not months, that this feeling has been around: the thought of time when I die. Continue Reading “Eulogy”
It seems that everybody nowadays wants to change something. We can tell that by looking at growing number of startups founded, ‘innovative’ products launched, or initiatives -well, initiated. It’s like literally every day in news we hear new startups being reported, new gadgets being promoted, and new social projects being campaigned -not to mention how many new policies being passed. Continue Reading “Social Inertia – on How (not) to Change”
Tentang rencana yang masih jadi wacana
Tentang inginnya impian seberhana tapi masih sederhana
Tentang asmarandana karena tak kunjung beranjangsana
Dan tentang ingin bijaksana tapi tetap lenggana
Elah, fana
Cita-cita kala yuwana, jawabnya bagaimana?
Cita-cita dari bijana, kenapa sekarang di dasar bejana?
Karena repot fatamorgana yang ternyata hanya bencana
Karena repot oleh kirana yang ujungnya jadi gulana
The whole point of this writing is to talk about my experience when I was learning extensively about subjects I’m passionate at, while ignoring the conventional, obligatory campus’ credit system. I’m a social student, yes, but that doesn’t stop me to study computer programming, design, film theory, and variety of other subjects like astrophysics, economy, politics, or even a little about engineering. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily make me an expert in those fields, but that’s enough to make me keep wondering of how vast the mystery this universe has, how amazing life and exciting people are, and keep me feel alive (?) Continue Reading “Paradox of Learning”
It was that moment, when I watched “Interstellar” for the 20th times,
That I realized I didn’t just like to write or to read.
More than that, I’m fascinated with stories.
Tell me stories, and we are best friends.
So, this is the movie I had been waiting for more than a year, and in my case, I think that’s the first time I was impatiently waiting for months for something to come. I told you that I was waiting for three big reveals in 2017, and beside Dan Brown’s Origin and Tesla Model 3, the other one was this Dunkirk (2017) movie, the latest work of Christopher Nolan. You can call me a Chris Nolan fan boy, that’s fine, because what I did at July 21st, 2017 when the movie first came out was what a fan boy would actually do. I literally ran after hitching an ojek to the nearest theater as soon as my work done in the evening, and didn’t catch a breath until I hold one ticket in my hand. Continue Reading “Dunkerque (2017)”
So, the other day I had an ‘assignment’ to read this quite popular book called “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus”. It was a re-read, actually, since I’ve done reading it about two years ago but had to read it again – just because I learned nothing back at the time. The book talks about how I, a man, am profoundly different from women. From our values that are inherently different, the way we cope with stress, to how we express ideas differently. It tends to start a fight between two whenever either one of them insists the other to accept them based on their own perspective.
(Esai berikut saya tulis sebagai persyaratan seleksi salah satu beasiswa di 2018)
Ketimpangan Pemanfaatan Teknologi Informasi antara Jawa dan Pelosok Indonesia
Pada November 2017 saya ditugaskan oleh Indonesia Mengajar untuk melakukan peninjauan lapangan di kabupaten Kepulauan Sula, provinsi Maluku Utara, guna mengetahui kondisi pendidikan dan sosial masyarakat setempat yang akan menjadi daerah penempatan para Pengajar Muda yang akan mengajar dan mendampingi masyarakat selama 5 tahun ke depan. Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula merupakan salah satu kabupaten di provinsi Maluku Utara yang berdasarkan Peraturan Presiden Nomor 131 Tahun 2015 tentang Penetapan Daerah Tertinggal Tahun 2015 – 2019 tergolong Daerah Tertinggal. Untuk menuju ibukota kabupaten Kepulauan Sula saya harus menempuh 14 jam perjalanan kapal dari Ternate, dilanjutkan dengan menggunakan mobil atau perahu kecil untuk menuju ke desa-desa, hingga pada akhirnya saya berhasil mengunjungi 27 Sekolah Dasar dan total 31 desa, di seluruh 10 kecamatan dan 2 pulau utama kabupaten Kepulauan Sula.
Pengalaman tersebut membuat saya menyaksikan secara langsung bagaimana kontras kondisi pendidikan antara di Jawa dan pelosok Indonesia: Continue Reading “Tentang Cita-Cita Pendidikan dari Pelosok Indonesia dan Visi Jurnalisme Edukasi”
I said it once and I’ll say it again: it’s uneasy for me to talk about this subject, no matter at what emotional state I currently have, in love or heart broken. For me love is an abstract subject which once I dive into and try to write about it, it feels like I was suck into it and can’t resist to continue talking about. It’s like revealing our weakest point, willingly. But how could someone do something willingly if it opens the vulnerability of itself? Doesn’t our evolutionary process lead us to survive and develop the reflexes of defense mechanism, whatever forms it take? I don’t know. And the funny thing is, I am writing about this just after I had a break up from years of relationship. Continue Reading “Why Do We Love”
Jika ada teknologi yang akan memiliki pengaruh sebesar internet dalam mengubah budaya masyarakat dalam dua dekade terakhir, itu adalah blockchain. Teknologi ini kini menjadi motor di balik distribusi mata uang digital (cryptocurrency) seperti Bitcoin dan beragam aset digital lainnya. Bahkan dalam perkembangan terakhir, pada bulan Mei Program Pangan Dunia (World Food Programme) PBB menggunakan Ethereum Blockchain untuk mendistribusikan 10.000 bantuan kepada para pengungsi Syiria, dilanjutkan dengan 100.000 bantuan berikutnya ke Yordania pada Agustus 2017.
Secara sederhana, blockchain adalah Continue Reading “Pertanyaan: Blockchain-Based Media, Memungkinkan?”
Masih 3 minggu yang lalu saya mendarat di kota elok yang dulunya adalah ibukota Nusantara, sebelum pindah ke Batavia. Lalu menumpang kapal selama 14 jam, setengah hari semalam, ke daerah dengan sinyal padam. Setibanya di kabupaten tujuan, kami melanjutkan perjalanan hingga 6 hari ke depan, mengunjungi sekolah-sekolah di bagian pulau tepian. Bertemu pantai terindah dan menahan terik yang membuat tak betah, menghabiskan waktu di tengah laut sampai sinar matahari surut, menyeberangi selat berbahaya yang konon bak segitiga bermuda, bertemu para penggerak yang berbagi cerita bijak, dan merasakan keramahan lokal di balik jalan-jalan terjal. Continue Reading “Cerita dari Kepulauan Sula (1) – Ke Sula”