Dear wifey - The Rain

Dear Bunda,

The sky is cloudly in this couple of days. Even the last two days was always raining everyday. It will be so wonderful to spent sometime lying on the bed. Just not doing anything and enjoying the warm of the room while at outside rain falls heavily.

Rain always bring a melancolic moment. Rain will bring colder temperature. Wet asphalt. Splash of water when hitting pavement.

I have been being a motorbike rider for almost 10 years. The sadest moment but at the same time the sweetest moment on the ride was at the time of raining. If I brought a wet suit, I will stop to nearest place with a roof to use the coat and continue to ride again. If I didn't bring it I will stop and wait until the rain stop or until at least the rain not so that hard anymore. But most of time the rain is never stop at the time I move away again. So at the end I always get wet with or without stopping.

While stopping I often stop in different places. My favorite will be a mosque. Because usually it will be more comfort and warm. One I remember was a mosque near Pondok Gede when I was still in college. At that time I stop from before maghrib until about 9 PM abd the rain even still not stopping yet.

Beside mosque, other nice stop is warung. Not as comfort and warm as mosque but at least we can chew so many things. Other option will be a gass station, people front house or just an empty building.

Seeing cloud this morning bring me again to all of those memories. Rqin will be always a sweet moment.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Happy Ied Mubarak

Dear Bunda,

The last two weeks we were together is one of the most wonderful time in my life. I can't wait to have unlimitted wonderful time with you for the rest of ourlife and there after.

We are blessed by had been born in muslim country. We have full of enjoyment and excitement in every religious celebration especially hari raya and hari qurban (using malay term). Idul fitri always will be a sweet moment where almost all family member gathered. Sometime I can't wait to arrive at the moment when we will gather with our grand children later. Of course as a nice and wise grandparents.

Do you realize that time often moving so fast. For example, do you realize that we have passed 9 months as a husband and wife? I think it will felt like no time for us to became mom and dad also grandmother and grandfather.

Dear bunda, this is my official mail to say happy ied mubarak. I want to apologize for so many mistake that often I made (sometime repeated mistake). I promise want to try harder to be best hubby for you and best father for our so many children. Thank you for beautiful ied holiday from J to J, Jember to Jonggol. Can't wait to enjoy barakah of next ied, Insya Allah with our first baby, with our owned house and of course nice sport car.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Wonderful Breakfast with wonderful people

Dear Bunda,

This morning suddenly I remember a moment when I was staying in Choa Chu Kang. Knowing your friend is a wonderful thing for me. All of them are very nice people.

Every weekend usually we will go for breakfast together. There are some central market near their apartment. In second floor of that place there are a hawker. We usually will eat at malaysian food stall.

Oh ya, we need to walk sometime from apartment to approach that place. But since we went together it is always so enjoying to talk and laugh with them. The member of the party usually me, Feri, Was, Yoso and sometime Fikie when he came to Singapore. We will talk so many things a long the way. We will jaywalkimg silently when suddenly cop patrol car passed.

When we arrive at the hawker we will queueing at our favorite stall, most of time was that malaysian food since there are not many option for halal food. Later we will order our drink. For me most of time I order tea o peng. The one that I always remember is Was. He is really love coffee. So most time he will drink coffe with toast bread and half boiled egg. After finished eat we will talk for a moment then heading home together again.

It was always a wonderful time.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Rhe Sound of Dddrrrttt Drrrttt

Dear Bunda,

Have you ever heard sound from luggage wheels when dragged on the top of travelator? It sound like drrrttt drrrttt drrrttt when we drag our luggage by walking on travelator. We will hear it mostly in airport. But in Singapore there are some travelators also in MRT station. Usually in interchange. I heard that sound just now. It remind me a lot at the beginning time I moved to Singapore. I quite often go to Indonesia that time. Mostly for wedding preparation. When I brought a cabin luggage and in a hurry for catching the flight, I will make my cabin luggage sound drrttt drrrttt when I walk fast on travelator.

Now it has been more then 8 months since we married and half of it was spent by staying in a distance from you. Sometime time move so fast isn't it? Yes I have discussed time topic quite many. Because it is the thing that separate and also unite us again. The time is now. After 8 months. I reminded by a simple dddrrrttt ddrrtt sound.

Can wait to go to evening of this day and meet u at the airport. I will make sure for us to have a wonderful time together.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Bourne Story

Dear Bunda,

Aku sedang menonton Bourne Ultimatum. Bourne adalah sebuah seri novel tulisan Robert Ludlum. Cerita tentang seputar dunia spionase. Menariknya hanya beberapa seri yang dibuat oleh Robert Ludlum sebelum ia meninggal. Seri novel ini kemudian dilanjutkan oleh Eric Van Lustbader dimulai dari Bourne Legacy yang sedang tayang di bioskop saat ini. Sayangnya Bourne Legacy pemain utamanya bukan Matt Dammon lagi tapi Jeremy Renner. Ia pertama kali aku lihat di Mission Impossible dan kemudian di The Avengers sebagai Hawk Eye. Tak tahu kenapa rasanya kurang enak menonton Bourne tanpa Matt Damon, meski aku mungkin tetap ingin melihat Bourne Legacy.

Aku senang Bourne dibandingkan katakanlah James Bond (tak perlu sebut Johhny English) adalah karena Bourne terasa lebih humanis. Tentu saja Bourne tetap saja super power dengan segala kemampuan bela diri, keahlian senjata dan kecerdasannya. Tapi ia bekerja sendiri dan berbeda dengan Bond, Bourne tidak suka main perempuan. Ia setia dengan kekasihnya Marie Kreutz yang dimainkan Franka Potente. Oh ya bicara tentang Franka Potente, ia adalah orang Jerman dan pertama kali terkenal saat memainkan film Run Lola Run, salah satu film Jerman yang ingin aku tonton sejak dulu. Sayangnya Marie meninggal di seri Bourne kedua, Bourne Suppremacy.

Menariknya di Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne sempat dekat dengan Nicky Parson yang dimainkan Julia Stiles, namun hubungan mereka sengaja dibuat menggantung di akhir film ketiga ini. Awalnya aku mengira cerita mereka akan diangkat di film keempat. Ternyata film keempat tokohnya pun sudah berbeda total.

Daya tarik Bourne adalah kecerdasannya, bisa banyak bahasa. Selain itu Bourne juga syuting di banyak tempat-tempat menarik di Eropa. Di Bourne Ultimatum terjadi adegan kejar-kejaran yang seru di Tangier Maroko. Dengan nuansa perkotaan Afrika Utara yang indah sangat memancing daya tarik untuk mengunjunginya suatu waktu. Berikut tempat-tempat lainnya. Tentunya bersama bunda.

Btw aku jadi ingin sekali nonton Bourne Legacy. Nanti kita lihat sama-sama ya. Btw lagi aku baru sadar di paragraf terakhir email ini kalau aku ternyata menulis menggunakan Bahasa Indonesia. :p

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - The Astronout

Dear Bunda,

In this last several days (one or two weeks) several jets is flying around apartment. Sometime three sometime 4. It was military jet. Must be very sophisticated one, since Singapore is very rich country. They must be in training. It fly so fast and bring so loud rumble sound. In physics theory, that loud sound happen similar with the case of lightning. When very fast object moving through air, it create low density area very fast. Suddenly, air surround that arie will fill that empty area very fast. Each of those airs will be collide each other and make very loud sumble sound mentioned earlier.

In my childhood me and my friends have two type of dreams we want to be. First one is not serious dream and second one is serious dream. I was kiddding want to be an ojek driver. My friend said he want to be a taxi driver. But of course we were not serious. We just want to make funny thing when older people ask us about dream. My second dream was, I want to astronout. Seriously.

In my childhood I read many scientific books for children. That book was very interesting because contain a lot of images. Most of book that I had read at that time was relate to astronomy and outer space discovery. That's why at that time I really want to be an astronout even though how unrealistic it was.

That is the interresting side of children character. Children always dare to be dream withou considering unnecessary things too much. But at the time they grow, they will realize that when hitting the wall because having "too high" dream is hurt. Then man start too lessen their dream.

That condition can be prevented one of its way is by having supporting family. That's why later at the time we have children I want to be very supportive parrent for any dream that our children have. Under the sun everything is possible. I want to make our children believe it until they grow up and find their own success.

Today the jets was flying again this afternoon still with it loud rumble sound. Somehow I remember about my old dream to be an astronout. Flying that sophisticated flying vehicle and flying to anywhere I want.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - 24 Hours

Dear Bunda,

In couple of hours we will meet again. It's been more than 4 months, the longest time we are being separated by distance since we met. Honestly I feel so shy to meet you again. I know we already married, but not stay together for that long time make a little funny and nervous feeling to me :D.

Dear bunda, I will clean up my room, tidying the bed, sweeping the floor, washing all the dirty clothes for welcoming you. Around 24 hours again I will see you and you will see me. Do you still remember the night at Soekarno Hatta when I was crying while hugging you before you enter immigration area. I thought it will be not easy to stay away from you. Yes it is not easy. But at least I am getting used to be more little bit patient. And always looking what is the secret meaning behind all of this beautiful scenario. Several weeks after you left, I often look our pictures. Most of time tears will drop for unresistance miss feeling.

Dear bunda, take care along your travel. Eat and sleep properly. Ask warm blanket on the flight. I miss you so much. And I will miss you either you are far and close.

2 other emails still in queue to reach you within today. ;)

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Story of 10.000 USD

Dear Bunda,

In 2009 I participated in an event held by Yahoo. The event title was Yahoo Mobile Developers Award. Regardless of Yahoo dominance as internet company that decline year by year, that event still take interest many developers. The event itself had aim to introduce new platform in developing mobile website. The name of the platform was Blueprint. Ironically the platform never gain it success and died not too long after the event. For introducing Blueprint Yahoo conduct a contest. Prize for the winner per category was very tempting, 10.000 USD. Even for best of the best will be granted another 10.000 USD.

The contest was very simple. Developing website prototype using Blueprint. With sufficient knowledge it can be done in less then total work of let say around 48 hours. But like usual I was too lazy. One of the reasoning was at the same time I was quite hectic in office. Project deadline and have to stay in office in long hour. So, I never finishing the application for the contest.

At the other side my colleague who was working in one of sister company of my company have enough spare time. He was work as consultant. But don't know why he said had much free time. Even he sometime play counter strike in office just because there was almost nothing to do. Then when the contest came, he had very much free time to finish it. At the beginning even he ask me a lot since he was not attending contest briefing. Finally with very simple concept but at least workable, he won. He receive his 10.000 USD as if it drop from heaven.

I don't mean to complaining or envy. But that was a great lesson from that case. Always finish whatever you start. Never expect something can be achieved without doing anything. Busy is not a proper excuse for not doing something. Everyone have 24 hours per day but every people have different level of success. Of course this is that make world colorful. World is not interesting if everyone are boss then who will serve the boss ? :)

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Story of the nap

When I was child and stay in Paktuo home, they have a very strict rule for everything that I have to do or never have to do. One of its rule was I have to nap everyday (weekday actually) from 2 to 4 PM. Even though I was not sleepy at all, I don't have choice. It was a must. Litle bit speaking about nap obligation, at the night I also have sleep before 9. The saddest thing was, on Wednesday and Thursday there was a Layar Emas in RCTI that will viewing several great hollywood movie and hongkong movie. At that year, if you also remember, every show have to be suspended in every tv station on 9 PM. Because Dunia Dalam Berita will be aired from TVRI. So most of time I will be watch half movie only. Because Layar Emas will continue from 9.30 to about 10.30. In the morning I will woken up at 6 AM.

After nap I usually went outside to play with some of my friend. We play many thing at that time. Soccer, hide and seek, and even play in kindergarden playground near home when we will play jungkat jungkit and perosotan. Around 5 PM I have to go home and taking bath. At the other days after nap, I have to swim one time every week if I am not mistake. Even I was registired to one swimming istructor. That's why even though I never play in river like other village children in Jonggol, I quite have capability in swimming since I was trained since childhood. The trainer name was Pak Suro. Old man aroun 40. Very nice man. Javanish. Later after I go back to Jonggol around time when I was in Junior High School, I heard Pak Suro was murdered by someone, in swimming pool. Somebody hit a hammer to head of Pak Suro.

At the other day before nap I have to attend quran recite class. At that time was famous the use of Iqra method. But my reciter teacher prefer not to use that. My teacher name was Pak Abbas. I attend the lesson with other 3 or 4 my neighbour friend, in her home. One of the friend that I remember was Lia. I attend the class after finishing shool and eat some lunch (around 1 PM) until about 2 PM. After that then I have to take mandatory nap.

Suddenly I remember all this nap story after taking nap several time since beginning of this ramadhan in very comfort sofa in teletech park second floor Singapore. My mind fly for a momment from Singapore to Gunung Sahari Jakarta, and try to guess what was in my mind at the time I was child. What are my dreams, what will I want to be. Sometime few years back, if I don't try hard enough in achieving something, I usually see my childhood picture, and said to myself, that little guy will dissapoint if he know his mature age is not used maximaly to achieve all of his and my dreams.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Story of old computer

Dear Bunda,

I bought my first computer on my second year in university. After teaching sometime, finally I could collect money about 1.200.000 IDR. I forgot the exact amount. But I was saving (mostly from teaching salary) for quite sometime until got this amount. Of course I cannot afford brand new computer with this money. At that time (2004) personal computer was not as cheap as now. Laptop only exist in my imagination. Because the most standard specification will cost us as much as new standard cub motorcycle price more than 10.000.000 IDR. It often make me want to laugh a lot if compared with today, that very expensive laptop in 2004 is equivalent with feature less sophisticated with 2.000.000 IDR netbook now. Electronic hardwire price is always decline while it technology is always getting better and better. One of other example, my first MP3 player is china product, the price is about 300.000 IDR and only had 128 MB storage can handle about 25 songs only. Today, the smallest capacity of iPod have 8GB storage 64 times of my first MP3 player.

Let's back to my computer. I bought my computer from Nanda. The specs are as follow, Intel Pentium 3 600Mhz (which is more than half of my galaxy notes processor speed), 64MB RAM (which is 1/16 RAM of my galaxy notes and 1/128 of our laptop RAM), 8 GB hardisk (yes 2GB! Equals with standard micro sd card with size less than our nail),CD ROM only because I cannot afford to buy DVD ROM add on, a cute floppy drive and the most interesting a very big tube monitor. Since I bought that set with quite cheap price, the tube monitor itself was not in good condition. Most of time the screen was blur. When using more than half hour my eyes will so tired.

I pickup the computer in Nanda's home in Cilandak. For that purpose I rent a motor bike from one Ojek drive near home. One sexy Honda Grand bike. Then I ride to Cilandak while hoping there will be no rain. When I arrived, Nanda's already prepare all the stuff. After some testing then he packaged everything. Oh ya, he was kind enough to give me bonus one stereo speaker. So I can start enjoy listening MP3. We together hooking all the set at the bike at that old bike. Since the set was quite big, I only have very small space left to sit. So for that about 2 hours ride (since I drive so slowly, worrying my dream computer could drop), I sit more to forward than usual.

The next 2 hours later I was arrive at home with some little back pain holding one CPU and one big monitor at my back on the bike. Unpatiently I unbox everything and still remember when that shiny blury thing warming up at the first time. The operating system that cute computer was Windows ME, one version before Windows 2000 and two version berfore ubiquotus Windows XP. Some months later I always hope that I can install Windows XP in that old machine. But never come true because one time I try, it was so slow and almost not usable.

However that old machine accompany me until my last year in campuss. Helping me finishing many assigments and reports writing. If you wonder, we can still see it existence in my home. I had replace the old casing with the new one, upgrade the RAM to 256 MB, and hardisk to 120 GB but most of the thing is still similar.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Are you sure can meet another Ramadhan?

Dear Bunda,

It is second week of Ramadhan already. Quite fast isn't it? It's feel just like yesterday we start fasting. And also it's feel somehow like just yesterday you left to Germany. Even though factually is not like that what I feel. It's feel like 1000 years maybe. Please don't be affraid. Everything gonna be ok. I will mature and be wise and let's push conflict level to zero. :)

Today I want to remind you about Ramadhan phases. I am sure that you must be have heard about this as well. 30 days of Ramadhan are consist of the first 10 days of rahmat --Mercy from Allah, the middle 10 days of forgiveness and the last 10 days of will be phase of freedom from fire. So while about half of Ramdhan still left let's optimize it as best as we can (at the same time this mail is strong reminder for myself). Because we are never know whether will we meet another Ramadhan.

In the beginning of Ramadhan some years a go, preacher in mosque mention about that. Usually after Isya and before Taraweh he will give 7 minutes preach. He engage us to be thankful for another chance to welcome Ramadhan. Because, he mention several name (Mr. Bla bla, Mr. X, etc) not lucky enought don't have that chance. "Even of those guys came to our mosque right now", the preacher continue, " all of us will run scuttled away with panic" he speak again, and responded soft laugh by the congregation. The fact that Mr. Bla bla, Mr. X was just passed away in between that Ramadhan in one Ramadhan before.

I fully realize that sometime I don't walk the talk. Hopefully bu this short email will push me little bit to at least crawl my talk.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Legacy to leave

Dear Bunda,

I want to continue little bit a discussion about outliers. For all the time I always want to be an ouliers. Someone significance. Did you remember an old quote that repetedly spoken by people when we were childhood? When a tiger died it leaves it color. When an elephant died it leaves it ivory. Then what is leave by human when he dies? Legacy? Wealth? Not incorrect but the right thing will be knowledge and wisdom.

Have we ever meet Nabi Muhammad? No we haven't, because he already passed away even before we exists. But all muslim will know him by his enermous legacy that he provided for us. Knowledge, wisdom and Islam which is revealed by Allah through him. Same case happen for example with Einstein, Newton, Dennis Rithie (he is the inventor of C programming language which act as an important foundation for digital era), Ken Thompson (co-developer of C), Bill Gates, Buya Hamka, etc. Most of us never meet them yet. But their knowledge and wisdom affects many aspect of our life.

Now there are about 6 billions human population on earth, stastically for every second there must be someone passed away. All of us right now is in queue to wait the turn. The question will be, what we gonna leave for our descendant? Money and wealth seem valuable. But it last so quickly when knowledge and wisdom will be never lasting. Never too late to gain knowledge and wisdom.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - 10.000 hours rule

Dear Bunda,

One of the concept that is repeatedly mentioned in the book of Outliers Malcolm Gladwell is the 10.000 hours time to be an expert. Averagely it will need total 10.000 hours to be an expert in particular field. Outliers itself is a book which try to examine several key factors which contribute to high level of success. And this 10.000 hours theory is one of that factor.

In 10.000 hours theory, Gladwell bring some example like Bill Joy, Bill Gates, Oppenheimer and Chris Langan. Oppenheimer is a physician and he was famous for being a head of reasearch of atom bomb creation. Chris Langan is famous for one of smartest American that has IQ 195. But irronically for Langan, with so that high IQ, he is almost nothing. He don't have any notable contribution or creation to the world. No book, no paper and no invention at all. These four guys is considered to spent about 10.000 hours for their expertise.

I am more interested with Bill Joy and Bill Gates. Bill Joy is Sun Microsystem co-founder. Sun was one of the hottest IT company in Silicon Valey USA. One of most famous Sun invention was Solaris one flavor of Unix operating system. And the most notable will Java programming language which is invented by James Gosling one of Sun employee in 1995. Later Sun was acquired by Oracle in 2010. Back to Bill Joy again, like others geek as well, he is very genius and smart. He already programming computer almost everytime since he was only 16. That's why at the time he was graduated from Berkeley, he was considered already achieved about 10.000 hours drill in his expertise and yhave full capability to build Sun Microsystem.

After reading that rules, I was motivated and demotivated at the same time. I was motivated because everytime I read or hear a story about succesfull person (especially person in my field) I feel like have an energy injection to move, act and achieve the glory like them. I was feel demotivated because I often think it was to late to act now. Most of the successful people that I've read, build and nurture their skill since very young. I often feel it's too late to be an expert. I am not young anymore and I cannot imagine if have to spent another 10.000 hours before I am getting the expertise level that I want. If translated into years, 10.000 hours is equal to about 10 years. It way too long the time needed to achieve successful. I realize that no instant approach is better either. I fully understand for every success that we want to achieve is a combination of commitment, hard work and persistence. That's why to against my demotivated feeling I introduce a concept "yes it is need thousands hours to be expertise in some field then start our first hour from now". Somehow it remind me to very famous quote. "A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step".

I might be will not become a famous expert (but I still believe it as a maybe). But at least I have ever try to be such way and have started my journey to thousand hours learning from now. Btw I will share Bill Gates, Oppenheimer and Chris Langan story in other opportunities. ;)

PS: I love you