Kimp's Life Journey & Pursuit of Dreams

I’m currently on a training camp, in which in 6 days I’ll be off to Hong Kong for my very first mooting competition. I hope everything goes well until the departure date.

To be honest, I’m so worried right now, since even if I’ve read hundred of pages of materials, pleadings, yet my coach still never showed any satisfaction towards my performance. I was pissed off too by him, also towards myself. I just wish that it would be just another part of the memories. And, as I have experienced before, that I always feel on fire at the very late moment, which would be when the competition commences. I just wish for that to happen.

This is a special throwback story to my day of departure to Japan, to pursue my 3rd semester of undergraduate study at Nagoya University.

Aku begitu bodoh

Dulu aku begitu mengharapkanmu

Menanti janji yang terucap itu

Menanti bagai mengharapkan angin tuk berhenti berhembus

Membayangkan betapa bodohnya jika aku masih begitu

Aku tak tahu mengapa ini semua terjadi

Aku hanya tersenyum, melalui suara hatilah aku berbisik

Melalui mata inilah aku menahan tangis

Aku memang bodoh 

Dahulu, ku hanya mampu berbisik tanpa satu kata pun terucap

Dahulu, ku hanyalah salah satu bintang yang kau lihat

Dahulu, ku hanya mencoba tuk mengartikan engkau

Memahami siapa engkau

Mengapa engkau datang kembai ke hidupku

Apa yang aku harapkan dari semua ini

Bodoh..Memang bodoh

Hanyalah kobaran api yang terabaikan di hutan

Menjalar melalui akar akar 

Menghanguskan semua tunas

Yang hendak tumbuh membangun harapan

Aku memang bodoh

Selalu menanti engkau yang tak kunjung datang

Yang tak pernah hendak berkata maaf

Perpisahan itu, yang tak pernah terucap

Dan semua ini rahasia Tuhan yang entah kapan ku bisa memahaminya Yang ku tahu..

Engkau masih berada, di tempat terindah

This photo brings back that one of my best exchange memories.

I remember that day when I was glad to be part of the so-called elementary school’s activity of inviting foreigners to have conversation in english.

I was amazed by the fact that I was chosen, even though I’m not a native speaker. 

I was happy to meet those cute Japanese kids, knowing their various backgrounds, having fun chit-chat with them..

Lastly, got my very first salary, well not really, but compared to the prize that I got from debate competition, it’s pretty good amount, (6000 yen). 

My host family is Hayakawa-san family. She picked me up at Nagoya University. When I first met her, I knew that she was a very nice person. At first, I was expecting to see her children come with her, but I was just happy to see a nice mother pick me up. We went to Aisai by train and it took about 40 minutes. After we arrived, we still had to walk to her house for 10 minutes. It was indeed a very good neighborhood, I could really feel that it was a countryside of Japan. I was really amazed by the fact that the neighborhood was so clean and many people use bicycle to go around, which was very different from Nagoya.

I arrived at her home and was welcomed by her 2 children, the second daughter and the youngest son, their name were Kaho and Kouki. They were really cute! I really like her house too, because it was Japanese style which I had dreamed of coming into this kind of house.

Before arriving at her house, while we were still on the train, Hayakawa-san told me that her husband was so busy, so I wasn’t surprised not to see her husband at home. When I entered Hayakawa-san’s house, I finally felt like at home. However, I could feel her children’s shyness towards new people. At first her children didn’t approach me, they kept distance while observing me at the same time. We had lunch together right after I arrived. I guessed that Hayakawa-san has prepared before she went out to pick me at Nagoya, such a thoughtful mother! I liked her cooking! Even if it was simple, but it was typical Japanese food!

In short, at the 1st day, I only stayed at home with Kaho-chan, Kou-kun, and Hayakawa-san. Despite that, I really had a great time, because I played with Kou-kun and we talked so much about his interests , such as Kamen Rider, Karate, also Japanese dramas with Hayakawa-san. I shared my interests in Japanese dramas and K-Pop, which were surprisingly similar with them. At night, we had a dinner gathering with Hippo Family Club in Aisai, and did cultural exchange activities, such as learning new language and playing games.

My second day, I would say that it was really a family time. I went to a calligraphy center in Aisai, in which Kaho-chan did participate in it, also to a shopping center with Hayakawa-san, Kou-kun, and Kaho-chan. There, I went to a Purikura center, where we did a kind of photobox, this was actually the thing that I wanted to experience, and I finally did it! After that, we had lunch at sushi restaurant with the whole family. Hayakawa-san’s husband and Tuyoshi-kun the oldest sun also joined us! I really loved sushi, and I did tell them, so they granted my wish to eat at sushi restaurant, which I’ve never been to. I really liked it, but unfortunately I couldn’t eat a lot, I was so full with just 5 plates. After having lunch, we bought a small cake to eat at home, for dessert I guess. And again, we had conversations at home, they asked about Indonesia, They were indeed mesmerized by the beauty of Indonesia, and said to me that they would definitely visit Indonesia and contact me as well. It did feel like a quality time with my family. Before coming home, I even had a chance to take a nap with the whole family in the living room. And I was really sad to go home and a bit disappointed because only Kou-kun, Hayakawa-san and her husband who drove me home. I wish I could have more time to play with their three children.

Last but not least, I was grateful and blessed to be given a homestay opportunity. This opportunity has created a new bond between me and Hayakawa-san family. I hope I could always keep in touch with Hayakawa-san family and  meet them again in the near future. 

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey. I read this quote on social media and I was inspired by the fact that I found many people have been living their dreams. At that time, I wondered, when would be my turn? When could I confidently say that I live my dreams? That was simple, yet for me it was a self-encouragement, in which it might be one of the factors that took me here.

Since, I was in junior high school, I studied Japanese as an additional language subject. Indeed, I didn’t work hard, I was not into Japanese. As time passed by, I was immersed in learning Japanese language. Even during my high school’s life, I took private lesson. However, I didn’t master at it, even I was not able to speak. At the end of my high school’s life, I started to dream of coming to Japan to study. I studied hard, and took JLPT N5, but I failed. I guess at that time, God hasn’t allowed me to go, due to the acceptance from International Undergraduate Program Faculty of Law, UGM in which I took the entrance exam. Therefore, I decided to continue my study in Indonesia.

Without even thinking, that this opportunity, Campus ASEAN Exchange Program would come, I did work hard for my first year of law school, I did well in terms of my academic life.

I began to know Campus ASEAN Program from my senior, then I tried to apply for International Summer Seminar at Nagoya University, but I didn’t get accepted, instead my seniors got accepted. Instead of giving up, I tried to apply for this long-term Campus ASEAN Exchange Program, and unexpectedly I got accepted. I was overwhelmed by the fact that there were seniors who applied for the same program, whom I knew that they were outstanding law students, but I was the only one who were accepted and given the scholarship. However, I never thought that it was a luck, but indeed it was a gift from God for those who worked really hard in pursuing their dreams.

Studying abroad especially in Japan was such a privilege for me. I got to learn many things, know new friends from all over the world, enjoy various activities and events held by the university or even cultural exchange activities outside campus, as well as attended a lot of insightful seminars.

Aside from my academic life as a law student, I also took an intensive Japanese course, which was conducted 3 hours/day for 5 days each week. I personally think when you live in another country, you should at least learn their language in order to understand their culture and you probably would get a lot of friends through understanding their culture. From my personal experience, learning Japanese while living in japan was such a privilege, because you got to talk to native Japanese, got used to listen to a real conversation, instead of CD, and when you travel alone, you probably would not get any problem, at least when you get lost around somewhere, you could ask someone and be helped by them. FYI, Japanese people are so kind, really really kind. I assure you that you would not get nothing from them, I mean they would really tell you the way in detail, they even voluntarily escort you to the place. Of course, at the end, don’t forget to say “Arigatou Gozaimasu” and added with smile.

Masih lekat di pikiranku ketika masa-masa SMP, aku Madina dan Sheila menyanyikan lagu itu bersama-sama. Masih lekat di pikiranku impian untuk bertemu idola sejak SMP, masih lekat di pikiranku betapa aku sangat menyukai lagu ini, setiap detik dan lirik, bagiku lagu itu begitu indah dan membekas begitu dalam di hati dan pikiranku. Tak lekang oleh waktu, walaupun Aku Madina dan Sheila sudah berada di tempat yang berbeda-beda. Masih lekat di pikiranku betapa Madina sangat menyukai Daesung dan aku bertanya-tanya mengapa Daesung. Setelah bertahun-tahun tidak bertemu Madina, dan kemarin aku pergi menonton Bigbang, aku makin memahami mengapa Madina dan Sheila sangat menyukai Bigbang sejak dahulu. Dan aku pun mengerti mengapa sekarang aku, tanpa alasan yang jelas, selalu ingin pergi menonton Bigbang, meskipun tidak ada member yang benar-benar aku sukai secara spesifik. Bigbang, punya charm yang tidak dimiliki grup lain. jujur saja, saya sangat menyukai lagu-lagunya. Kwon Jiyoung memang bukan musisi biasa, dia punya sense music dan juga manner yang membuat banyak fansnya tetap mencintai music-musiknya dan personality dia hingga saat ini.

Hari Sabtu (11/4) ini menjadi hari sabtu yang paling saya tunggu-tunggu sejak menjadi mahasiswa UGM, karena impian saya akan tercapai, yaitu menjadi relawan dan lebih tepatnya mengajar. Saya bersama 30 pengajar baru berkumpul di gelanggang mahasiswa dan kami diberi pengarahan oleh kakak-kakak pengajar Gadjah Mada Menginspirasi. Setelah sejam kami diberi pengarahan dan membagi kelas, kami bersiap untuk berangkat. Saya kebetulan tidak membawa motor dan memutuskan untuk ikut dengan Afi, teman baru saya dari Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian.

Ketika kami semua sudah beranjak pergi, hujan mulai turun dan kami sudah prediksi akan hujan deras. Benar saja, sepanjang perjalanan kami diiringi oleh hujan dan sejujurnya ini adalah pengalaman pertama saya naik motor ke daerah Merapi dan hujan-hujanan naik motor. Meskipun, memakai jas hujan, itu tidak mengubah suasana dingin yang membalut perjalanan kami.

Setelah sampai di SD Baitussalam, saya lega karena ternyata SD dan lingkungan sekitarnya sangat nyaman dan dikelilingi oleh pohon-pohon, benar-benar terasa di pegunungan.

Tema mengajar kali ini adalah Guruku. Saya bertugas mengajar di kelas 5 dan pada awalnya saya merasa khawatir tidak mampu menghandle kelas, apalagi anak-anak kelas 5 yang cenderung sangat aktif. Saya bertugas bersama Alfian (koordinator kelas), Umi, Afi, Namira, dan satu lagi kakak dari Filsafat UGM.

Pada awalnya, kami bingung bagaimana kami harus mengatur anak-anak ini dan kami pun tidak membagi tugas secara jelas. Jadi, Alfian mengawali dengan menyuruh salah satu anak untuk memimpin doa, anak itu bernama Umair.

Setelah membaca doa, kami memutuskan untuk membagi sekitar 17 anak ke dalam 3 kelompok. Saat pembagian kelompok ini, tidak ada satupun dari mereka yang menghapal nomor berapa yang mereka dapat dan kami pun lupa. Jadi, pada akhirnya kami membagi mereka berdasarkan tempat duduk, Saya dan Umi menghandle anak-anak yang duduk di tengah bagian belakang. Anak-anak ini terdiri dari Akmal, Dimas, Eva, Prima, Dewi, dan Gibran.

Di kelompok kecil ini. Gibran menjadi anak yang susah diatur pada awalnya. Jika dibandingkan dengan anak-anak laki-laki, anak-anak perempuannya lebih suka diam dan tidak menjawab ketika ditanya. Namun, di antara anak-anak perempuan, Prima yang paling berani. Walaupun, pada awalnya dia juga malu-malu, tetapi ternyata karakter aslinya tidak pendiam. Yang sejak awal saya perhatikan nurut, adalah Akmal. Walaupun, pada awalnya dia tidak terlihat berbicara tetapi ketika ditanya dia mau menjawab.

Selama diskusi tentang peran guru,saya mencoba untuk menanyakan semuanya, pada awalnya saya memberi pengenalan dulu tentang tema kita kali ini. Lalu, saya pancing dengan pertanyaan, Apa yang kalian pikirkan jika mendengar kata guru? Memang apa sih perannya? Kok kita perlu guru? Pada awalnya anak-anak perempuan malu untuk menjawab, jadi saya alihkan ke anak laki-laki. Alhasil, mereka menjawab dan mengutarakan pendapat polos mereka. Sejujurnya pada saat itu, saya dan Umi (partner saya) mengalami kesulitan karena Gibran dan Dimas, apalagi Gibran tidak mau diam. Jadi, saya putuskan untuk berjanji memberikan kue ringan yang saya bawa. Akhirnya, mereka pun diam dan menurut pada saya.

Dari segi kognitif, anak-anak ini telah mengerti konsep dasar dari peran seorang guru. Mereka berpendapat bahwa guru itu tugasnya mengajar dan peranny membuat mereka pintar atau lebih tepatnya mencerdaskan. Namun, yang saya lihat konsep berpikir mereka masih belum berkembang karena hampir semua pendapatnya sama, walaupun beda dalam penyampainnya.

Dari segi afektif, mereka pada awalnya tidak tertarik, terlihat dari sikap anak-anak perempuan yang tidak menjawab langsung ketika ditanya atau masih malu-malu. Tetapi, anak-anak perempuan di kelompok kecil saya itu, paling menurut jika diajak untuk duduk rapih dan ketika telah selesai mengajar pun saya merasa bahwa sebenarnya saya mampu lebih dekat dengan mereka, sehingga mereka tidak perlu malu-malu.Sedangkan, Akmal, Dimas, dan Gibran sejak awal merespon pertanyaan saya dengan baik dan Gibran ini memang memiliki kelebihan tersendiri, dari sisi keberanian berbicara. Akmal juga merespon saya dengan baik, tetapi dengan pembawaan yang lebih diam daripada Gibran. Kalau Dimas cenderung seperti Gibran, tetapi dia ogah-ogahan ketika disuruh untuk maju ke depan dan ketika ditanya juga lebih mengikuti teman-temannya.

Dari segi psikometrik, di kelompok kecil saya, saya mampu mendorong Akmal dan Gibran untuk maju ke depan untuk berpura-pura menjadi seorang guru. Walaupun, mereka diejek olehteman-temannya dan juga karena sudah waktunya pulang, Akmal dan Gibran tidak mundur, mereka terus berdiri di depan sambil mengikuti arahan saya dan Namira. Dan hanya Akmal dan Gibran yang berani untuk maju dan setidaknya berbicara di depan teman-temannya.