INSPIREWEB: Kezia Gabriella's

Dream A Little Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:04:00 +0000

You never expect that someday, the dream that only appears in your dream will somehow make a move in reality. With a short sentence such as 'Hey, I've an idea for a project' which I tell on Windows Live Messenger - my little baby: POTENSI - did a move.

Lessons learned in the past few months which I was busy working for it are:

You've gone this far. There's no turning back. No matter how little the steps you've made - it's a move.
Efforts won't betray you.
Once you're passionate about passion - you'll work for it no matter how hard.
Vision is far more important than how cool the project gonna be. It's about what actually I want to be shared between each Indonesian youngsters.
I'm proud to know other 30 passionate young people who work with me in this preparation.
170 days to go, and you know everything will be alright.

Everything will be alright as long as we're pray for it, right people? I miss all of you, so much. I promise you I'll write again whenever I've a spare time to share. I really have a lot of lessons to be shared. Just like 'The Elements', the challenge of being ourselves, and also the challenge to be true. So talk to you later.

Escape-s

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:46:00 +0000

I'm sorry for skipping a lot of posts here in my blog. So well, I've come back. Where did I go, lately:

Mid-term tests. Well, this is a cliche reason actually. But I should state it to you, those tests were the doors of hell.
I'm signing a contract as a freelance designer for another make-up producers, and the project was so exciting yet difficult at once. I slept in the morning for the past 2 months.
Working for the other project, #POTENSI Festival. Most of you might have known this thing. And now we're preparing for our pre-events, and of course for the D-day. God, I feel sick. Time flies so fast.
I'm working for my high school's student council. Yeah, this is another cliche. Next.
I don't know what to write. Seriously.

Okay, people. A person who writes about inspiration also able to has the period of writer's block. I know, inspirations aren't pretty - they often piss us off. Maybe in this post, I want to share something that happened in my life. And I've been thinking if anyone of you want to read it. But I still write anyway, I do.
Tumblr and Twitter has stolen my heart.

If you miss my writings so bad (I can be a little bit narcissistic too, eh?), go here:

Tumblr: Alexithymia's Tale | Twitter: @KeziaGabriella

Everyone needs escape, people. And those micro-blogging sites are my escapes. Have you ever been in the worst period of your life, when you feel like you have a lack of inspiration? That's what I'm talking about. I think, being a high schooler will give me a more dynamic life, where I can find myself to live a real 'life'. The life I've been talking about, is the life that I can enjoy without fake anything.

But, I will claim this honestly, the 'life' that will make you feel alive, is the life in your childhood. I should second every minutes for sure.

100 Things Come From Boredom

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:12:00 +0000

Found this in Judy's blog.

BOLD what applies to you:

01. You’re currently confused about someone’s feelings for you.

02. You have been in a serious relationship before.

03. You own an iPod of some sort.

04. You do not like your sibling’s girlfriend/boyfriend.

05. You drink too much alcohol.

06. You have been to the Olive Garden.

07. You have taken medicine of some sort this week.

08. It is really cold in your house right now.

09. You are extremely dependent on others.

10. You do not like to express your feelings in front of others.

11. You ate a lot of food today.

12. It doesn’t take much for you to cry.

13. People consider you as a happy sort of person.

14. Someone in your family is rich.

15. You have been to Disney World or Disneyland before.

16. You hate when people constantly talk about themselves.

17. You are a good listener, but you hate complainers.

18. Someone has called you for a serious medical emergency before.

19. You have had a serious surgery.

20. Your house has a spare bedroom.

21. Your house is old.

22. You have at least one cousin under the age of three.

23. You have never held a baby before.

24. You can’t handle toddlers.

25. You have a painting in your room.

26. You have been to Canada.

27. You have been to Mexico.

28. You love cherry flavored lollipops.

29. You celebrate Easter.

30. You observe Lent.

31. You are Catholic.

32. You do not believe in God.

33. Religion is not important to you.

34. You want to have a small family one day.

35. You would rather have more sons than daughters.

36. You have more aunts than uncles.

37. You hate being too cold.

38. You currently are way tanner than everyone else.

39. You wear shoes in your house.

40. Your parents are clean freaks.

41. You are more messy than clean.

42. You are currently angry at someone.

43. Patience is so not a virtue to you.

44. Your desk is extremely clean.

45. Your bed sheets are either blue, green, black, or white.

46. When you hear “black & white” it reminds you of Katy Perry’s ‘Hot n Cold’ song.

47. You have no clue what that song is.

48. You think rap artists are completely pathetic.

49. You are glad George Bush is out of office.

50. Politics are boring to you.

51. You take a vitamin daily.

52. You feel like you are sick often.

53. You hate throwing up.

54. You think it’s gross when people set food down on their desk at school with no napkin.

55. You also find it gross that people sit on top of desks.

56. You are now cringing at the thought of someone’s food where someone’s ass was.

57. You love getting bubble baths.

58. You do not like chocolate at all.

59. You are allergic to nuts.

60. You have been stung by a bee before.

61. You have been to the emergency room before for something.

62. One of your parents is 50 or older.

63. You are the baby of your immediate family.

64. You hate broccoli.

65. Cooked carrots are good, though.

66. You go on tumblr too much.

67. You are really comfortable right now.

68. You like witty t-shirts.

69. You are a major fan of underground bands.

70. You have been on an airplane before.

71. You are not afraid of heights.

72. You consider yourself paranoid.

73. You have had a panic attack before.

74. The thought of being old and alone bothers you.

75. You would choose the elderly over children.

76. You feel like you’re living in the wrong decade.

77. You like the color green.

78. You think it’s way too cold outside right now.

79. You love the thought of sleeping in tomorrow morning.

80. You would rather go to bed early and get up early.

81. You feel like the early bird catches the worm.

82. You are a big breakfast eater.

83. You are currently suffering from the common cold.

84. You are craving something salty.

85. You have been in a car today.

86. There is something plugged in near you.

87. You have heard of the TV show “Private Practice.”

88. You do not like medical television shows.

89. You prefer horror to comedies.

90. You adore Leo & Kate.

91. You think high-waisted pants look good.

92. You hate cheesy movies.

93. You enjoy camping out.

94. Bugs bother you.

95. You do well in school without trying.

96. You are extremely jealous of someone currently.

97. You feel like you have changed a lot from 08-09.

98. You like energy drinks.

99. You like italics.

100. You know the entire script of Mean Girls.

You Won't Realize This As 'Extraordinary'

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:27:00 +0000

A soldier of sorts is diligently fighting the fight so you don’t have to.
Someone who suffered from a severe injury last year is back on their feet.
A small group of people are building something that will soon make the impossible possible.
Somewhere on Earth a double rainbow is stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.
One of the next Billboard-chart-topping musical artists is patiently rehearsing in her garage.
A piece of literature is being written that will eventually change your perspective on life.
Young children all over the world are singing and dancing before they even realize there is anything that isn’t music.
A friend is helping a friend rise above thoughts of suicide.
Someone is thinking what you’re thinking, but hasn’t said anything yet either.
Two people in your hometown are falling in love.
Somewhere someone is admiring a breathtaking sunrise, and somewhere else a surreal sunset.
People of various religious backgrounds are in temples, churches, mosques and other places of worship praying, wholeheartedly, for world peace.
Someone who has struggled with their weight for the last several years is standing on a scale and smiling.
Hundreds of cute elderly couples are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
A baby girl just took her first few steps without falling.
Two best friends are laughing so hard they aren’t even making any noise.
A future world leader is in grade school at recess.
Someone is in the process of sincerely forgiving a seemingly unforgivable act.
There’s a kid studying hard somewhere who aspires to get to where you are in life.
A firefighter is running into a burning building to rescue a perfect stranger.
Someone in your vicinity genuinely wants to be your friend.
A young mom is lying in a hospital bed and holding her newborn baby twins for the very first time.
Someone is taking a shower and singing happily at the top of their lungs.
There is someone out there who smiles when they think of a specific moment they once shared with you.
An alcoholic just celebrated one full year of sobriety.
Volunteers in major cities all over the world are working at homeless shelters caring for those who are less fortunate than themselves.
A young man is pulled over on the side of the road helping a young woman change a flat tire.
A high school athlete just broke her own personal record.
Two teenagers just received their very first kiss ever from each other.
A husband and wife who were drowning in debt five years ago proudly hold a balance of zero on their credit cards.
Someone is hugging a friend who desperately needs it.
A new small business owner just wrapped up his first profitable yearworking for himself.
A grandfather is holding his granddaughter’s hand and they’re both smiling from ear to ear.
Someone just placed their spare change in the charity collection cup at the grocery store.
A small group of friends are sitting around a table sharing funny stories and cheerfully reminiscing about the good old days.
A breast cancer patient just found out her cancer is in complete remission.
Someone out there is missing you and looking forward to your next visit.
Honest people are working for various government entities to help protect your basic human rights and civil liberties.
An emergency room surgeon is in the middle of saving his patient’s life.
Someone is holding the door open for the person behind them.

I think, this is the reason why we never realize what we've got until we lose it. You owe those little things on earth, people. Love whatever you've got in life.

Get In Touch

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:12:00 +0000

I fond this on what Ashton Kutcher's opinion about love, based on the experience he had on the shooting of 'No Strings Attached'. I think, his opinion is somewhat schweet.

I was shooting a scene in my new film, No Strings Attached, in which I say to Natalie Portman,

“If you miss me. you can’t text, you can’t email, you can’t post it on my Facebook wall. If you really miss me, you come and see me.”

I began to think of all of the billions of intimate exchanges sent daily via fingers and screens, bouncing between satellites and servers. With all this texting, emailing, and social networking, I started wondering, are we all becoming so in touch with one another that we are in danger of losing touch?

It used to be that boy met girl and they exchanged phone numbers. Anticipation built. They imagined the entire relationship before a call ever happened. The phone rang. Hearts pounded. “Hello?” Followed by a conversation that lasted two hours but felt like two minutes and would be examined with friends for two weeks. If all went well, a date was arranged. That was then.

Now we exchange numbers but text instead of calling because it mitigates the risks of early failure and eliminates those deafening moments of silence. Now anticipation builds. Bdoop. “It was NICE meeting u” Both sides overanalyze every word. We talk to a friend, an impromptu Cyrano: “He wrote nice in all caps. What does that mean? What do I write back?” Then we write a response and delete it 10 times before sending a message that will appear too care, but not too much. If all goes well, a date will be arranged.

Whether you like it or not, the digital age has produced a new format for modern romance, and natural selection may be favoring the quick-thumbed quip peddler over the confident, ice-breaking alpha male. Or maybe we are hiding behind the cloak of digital text and spell-check to present superior versions of ourselves while using these less intimate forms of communication to accelerate the courting process. So what’s it really good for?

There is some argument about who actually invented text messaging, but I think it’s safe to say it was a man. Multiple studies have shown that the average man uses about half as many words per day as women, thus text messaging. It eliminates hellos and goodbyes and cuts right to the chase. Now, if that’s not male behavior, I don’t know what is. It’s also great for passing notes. there is something fun about sharing secrets with your date while in the company of others. think of texting as a modern whisper in your lover’s car.

Sending sweet nothings on Twitter or Facebook is also fun. in some ways, it’s no different than sending flowers to the office: You are declaring your love for everyone to see. Who doesn’t like to be publicly adored. Just remember that what you post is out there and there’s some stuff you can’t un-see.

But the reality is that we communicate with every part of our being, and there are times when we must use it all. When someone needs us, he or she needs all of us. There’s no text that can replace a loving touch when someone we love is hurting.

We haven’t lost romance in the digital age, but we may be neglecting it. In doing so, antiquated art forms are taking on new importance. The power of a hand-written letter is greater than ever. It’s personal and deliberate means more than an email or text ever will. It has a unique scent. It requires deciphering. But, most important, it’s flawed There are errors in handwriting, punctuation, grammar, and spelling that show our vulnerability. And vulnerability is the essence of romance. It’s the art of being uncalculated, the willingness to look foolish, the courage to say, “This is me, and I’m interested in you enough to show you my flaws with the hope that you may embrace me for all that I am but, more importantly, all that I am not.”

Venus Behind Those Pages

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Date a girl who reads, because she always understand what's on your mind. She reads every words you always want to say. She knows you even you describe yourself implicitly.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

A credit to: The phrase of Rosemarie Urquico.

To My Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:52:00 +0000

February 14th, 2011

Honestly, I hate this date. Among those 28 days of February, I really would like to skip this date. I would like to forget about the day which called as 'love-is-in-the-air' day. The day which called by people as the 'chocolate' day, 'roses' day, and many other sweet things.

Don't you know, that for some people, the 14th is just too hurt to understand? For me, it's not about the gifts, the sweet things, the romantic thing, it's about the taste.

Have you ever thought why people choose chocolate as the sign of valentine day? Because it's sweet. Because it's simply sweet and also classy, as what people think about love. It's gently make you happier than before. It's making another spark in your days. It's feeding butterflies into your stomach.

Well, perhaps, that's what they called as chocolate. But people doesn't remember that chocolate got an aftertaste too.

Chocolate, with the form of cocoa, which actually is the fruit to make the Indian people stronger, has a bitter aftertaste. Cocoa fruit is definitely bitter, but the side effect, it makes you stronger. Why you can become stronger with that bitterness?

And then, I ask myself. Am I really can be stronger with that bitterness?

People asked me about am I okay, and can I just pretend to be okay with such a thing like chocolate. I'm really okay with the sweetness, and I'm not forgetting about the bitterness. But finally, the bitterness still day. The pain is temporary, the bitter isn't there forever. But how the taste touch your tongue with that sweetness - it's memorable. It's memorable because you haven't felt that way.

You haven't felt that way. You really haven't felt that way.

I don't think that I'm the only person who getting hurt so much. Heartbreaks happen in every people around the world, with thousands mellow stories. But among those stories, among those people, no one really know what you feel. No one really know your heartache. No one but him.

I've heard about a saying from Charlie Brown, nothing take the taste of peanut butter, quite like an unrequited love. I've heard about a saying, when you lost the taste of peanut butter on your tongue, you can taste something better than peanut butter.

But what if my favorite taste, is the peanut butter? What if you've taken my favorite side on my heart? What if you've made me fall for you this much? And what if, I don't quite strong enough to make another peanut butter?

There's a time of your life when you feel like you can be stronger after you got hurt. But you just got a serious accident there, and you become a disabled person. You can use a wheel chair, you can use sticks, but you can't walk better than how did you walk before. You are weaker. Same here.

As my heart got hurt that much, I didn't become stronger as what you think. I just pretend that I'm stronger without you.

Because I thought it's okay to lost my favorite part of life.But actually that's how the life taught me that I'm a fool. I'm a fool because I thought I'm stronger with that. Because I thought it's okay to forget to laugh for awhile. Because I thought it's okay not to make people happy. Because I thought it's okay not to hold on for something I've been loving for years. Because I thought it's okay to forget about those treasures, if finally I will be safe in my own home. Because I thought it's okay to only have the half of my soul.

Then I remember that taste of peanut butter.

I honestly know, that my real home is on that taste of peanut butter. But I pretend to forget it. To pretend that I can like the strawberry jam, blueberry juice, or avocado butter. Without considering the aftertaste of peanut butter itself. Without considering the effect if I try to forget my favorite part.

And here, because I know that I pretend to be stronger than I was, I fell down from a higher place. I fell down from my own pride. I fell down from my own thoughts. I fell down from my own love.

Really, people, nothing can replace the taste of your favorite part. Absolutely nothing. Nothing can replace the half of your step when you try to be stronger. I can't be stronger if you're not there.

I can't taste the other flavors of life if you're not telling me. I can't see how beautiful the stories of my life if you haven't become a part of it. I hate you, because you've made me lost my ability to taste another taste. I hate you, because you've made me lost my ability to love anybody else.

But I love you.

Because you've made me lost my ability to love anybody else except you.

"Do you hear me talking to you, across the water, across the sea?"

What The Mirror Said

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:17:00 +0000

Yesterday, I felt awful. I felt like I have lost the half of my soul. I saw the reflection on the mirror, and realized that it wasn't me.

It wasn't me. I saw a reflection of a young girl who has lost her optimism of life. Who has lost the sunshine over her head. Who has lost the determination to go through the life in many directions. Who even worse, has lost the value of her own journey.

It's cheesy, right? How a person can change you this much. How a person can make you this absurd. How finally the scariest thing in the world hit you right on your heart. What is that, this scariest thingy? It's about that finally you realize that you're fall for someone. It's the scariest thing ever to realize how much someone means to you. Like, finally you should depend on someone. Someone that was once a stranger now is the only person you know inside and outside. Someone you once had no emotions for, now has the power to break your heart. It's kinda' disheartening for me.

Isn’t it disheartening how everyone seem to spend a day thinking of someone who’s possibly thinking of someone else? Then you know, sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, frustrated, unsatisfied, or barely getting by. But that feeling’s a lie. And if you just hold on, just find the courage to face it all for another day.

And I'm continually hate myself at that moment, I know that I'm able to be stronger than I've been thinking. Even sometimes it's my greatest fear to finally understand that I'm not strong enough - as long as I'm pretend to - no one can bring me down. I know, however I can't forgive myself from this regret, I still can forgive my life. Which is like the sides of coin.

Someone will always be prettier. They will always be smarter. Their house will always be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school, and their husbands will fix more things about the house. So let it go, and love yourself and your circumstances. Think about it: the prettiest women in the world have turmoil in their house, and the highly favored woman at your job may be unable to have children. And the richest woman you know, she’s got the car, the house, the clothes - might be lonely.

And the world says “if I have no love, I am nothing.” So again, love who you are. Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say “I am blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed. Winners make things happen; losers let things happen.

I'm Just Pretend To Be

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 15:48:00 +0000

The other day I told myself I didn’t believe in love. Something expected from a girl who has been left to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders alone, who is certain that she will slip into bed with no one to sleep beside her. A girl who’s heart never fully heals before it is broken and mangled again. I sat there surprised, sad almost because somehow I think I'm none of those things. I am such a teenager whom for such a time, follows a path that is crooked—yet still, I have never let anyone hold my heart long enough to be let down or know what if feels like to have acid living in your chest.

The scars I keep are nothing more than tiny traces caused by minuscule bumps in the road—they are soft, pink and pale. Not like the scars some of us are forced to carry inside out clenched fists: red and raw, if we touch something too hard for too long, they sting. You’re young, that’s when you’re supposed to believe in love the most, I remember thinking. That’s how it is for most of us, or at least for me.

We become obsessed with the characters played on the large screens, envious, because we wanted to be loved—we wanted every piece of ourselves to be desired. We wanted someone to memorize the lines in our palms, to notice the tiny beauty marks that scatter across our skin, to tell us how many eyelashes we have because we never bothered to count.

Then we get older and we realize how flawed love can be. We care too much, or not enough. We give everything, but there’s nothing for us to take in return. We become broken, pillows soaked in salted water. We talk to walls because you’re not there to listen anymore. We rub the sleep from our eyes and see reality for the first time, we come to the conclusion that nobody really stays together anymore.

Somehow I feel like maybe I never grew up, because I can still feel it there. Love does wonderful things, even if some of us never get the chance to experience it, for a fleeting moment if we stood still long enough, we can feel it shake our limbs. When I dream, I see stars. I can feel them, brush over them with my fingertips and sometimes they even get stuck in the dark tangles of my hair. But when I wake up, I can still feel their glow in my veins, that maybe the sparks of light exist inside of me and that I had it all along. I don’t know, I think regardless of whether one believes in love or not, we still have that glimmer living inside of us—proof that it is concrete, even if only briefly, even if we don’t always see it or believe it is there. We always hope. Maybe that means that most of us never really grow up at all, that maybe we just pretend to.

Between Chinese and Asian

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:21:00 +0000

Can't believe it's already February in front of me. Well, today I'm skipping school because of this suck fever and yet an unstoppable cough. My doctor said I might get an anemia. I've got a worse life-cycle in previous months. Anyway, I've been thinking about what to do while I was rolling on the bed, then I think to do something productive. Yeah, whatever the doctor said.

So guess what? Tomorrow is the celebration of Chinese New Year! Yay! *clapping feet*

Instead of celebrating, actually I don't have a Chinese gen inside my family tree. Perhaps from my great great grandpa - such a little gene, but so far I knew that I've got a less Chinese gene. My mother is more into the Holland yet European, and my dad is truly a Javanese. That's why my mother and father treated me in different ways, my mom educated me with a lot of discipline, strict, and grew me as a stubborn daughter. And my father educated me to become someone who should work in a scheduled way - making strategy and also thinking about something further than such a 'thinking' - and also become a person who learn how to give.

But talking about Chinese new year celebration, I'm thinking about this: culture and belief. Despite the racism of Chinese in our country, I want to talk about what kind of value we can take from the Chinese. Most of you might think, the people around me - my environment, the Chinese - is a group of people who only can think about make an advantage in any way, even the worst one. For me, Chinese is more than amazing. I admire how Chinese people work and how they survive in any condition. They have a big endurance, desire, and also a respect of time. They don't give up easily. And the best thing of Chinese, they create opportunity by themselves. They are opportunists.

Maybe some of you have heard the story of Amy Chua. She's the Junior Professor of Yale Law School. Prior to starting her teaching career, she was a corporate law associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She specializes in the study of international business transactions, law and development, ethnic conflict, and globalization and the law. As of January 2011, she is most noted for her parenting memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. To know more thoughts of Amy Chua, you can read her article in Wall Street Journal here Quite a breath-taking writing, I guess.

Even though, as a human who fight for human rights, I am quite disagree with what Amy Chua has done. I'm quite disbelief, there's still a person who really treat other people like this? Such an intelligence-oriented, strict, but so far... I think that's the only way to make a better generation. To treat them with right things. And I've learned that the worth things isn't easy to get. Most of us have less 'Chinese' spirit to fight, to treat our life seriously. We seem like to play with our own life without thinking about the risk. The systematic Chinese people make me learn, that for a while, we should demand ourselves. To keep on our priority to stay on the top.

When I was little, I remember reading a story about a Chinese peasant family with 5 children. They were really poor and couldn’t afford to buy clothes. The family would have cabbage soup for dinner every single day and the father would have to work really really hard on his crops to provide the family with food.

Occasionally, he would gather a little more than usual from his patch of land and he’d take these to the market where he’d earn a little bit of money. Sometimes the money gets used to buy a new pot, or maybe extra bedding in the winter, but never enough for more clothing or meat. Sometimes they would have a tough year, and the children would go hungry and cold during winter. The parents, sacrificing their own comfort for their children, would often not eat for days at a time.

And every year during Chinese New Year, their hardship and struggles would be put aside for one meal. The money that the parents struggled so hard to save during the year would be used to buy the children a new set of clothes that they would wear to dinner instead of their usual patched and tattered ones. And for that New Years Eve meal, the mother would travel a long journey to buy a small block - smaller than a handful - of meat that she would cook up and the family would savour the taste of such luxury.

I remember I cried and cried at that story because I had the luxury of eating meat a couple of times a week. Although my clothes had mending, we could afford to buy new clothes when they were really needed. And I never had to go cold during a snowy Beijing winter. Although I never found them, I feel warm to know that even the poorest of families rejoice on this evening. And even the hardest of times cannot dampen a smile that Chinese New Year brings, unfailingly, ever year to each and every person in China.

And maybe, from this story, you know the reason why I admire Chinese. Chinese people do this thing: They know they can't change someone, but they can become a reason for someone to change. And one of those 'someones' is me.

Happy Chinese New Year for you whom celebrate!

I Want Something That I Want

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 08:50:00 +0000

The title is adapted from a soundtrack of Tangled movie, it was sung by Grace Potter and Bethany Joy Galeotti. The refrain is like this: "And I want something that I want, something I tell myself I need. Something that I want, I need everything I see."

I've been thinking about 'wanting' something so bad. Become a person you always want to be. Your dreams, the highest hope you've ever made. Your passion to be realized. For me, that's the best part of my life. I always think that I've become the person I always want to be. I know what I've been wanting so bad, and having a passion is something that always inspires me everyday. Passion makes me keep going when I had a hectic schedule. Passion makes me passionate on something. And passion grows desire in my soul, it grows willingness. Passion makes me try harder to make solvers of my own problems.

In my own opinion, we haven't felt the thing named 'life' if we haven't had something that worth fighting for. Passion makes you know your direction, your own dreams, and it makes you know what you should do. That's the importance of passion.

***

The staffs of POTENSI. Love these guys to the fullest!

On Saturday, I had a quality time with my own fellows in POTENSI committee. I always love these guys. POTENSI is the place I can be around without having to 'try', or pretend that I'm around. I can laugh at same jokes. I can express what actually I've been thinking. I can work harder and harder. And the best part is, I can talk about anything there. It's like having a new family. Beside, we shared about 'passion' and 'vision', and I will share something that might inspire you to know your own vision, based on the story of POTENSI's staffs.

Azrina Indah Perwitasari. She's the team leader of event division, 18 years old, sarcastically funny, and my own soulmate. This is her story: "I hate politics, so much. I hate the bureaucracy and the 'black-side' of politics itself. I hate how our government can't make a better solution for our country, and took everything for their own interests. But finally I took International Relations as my major, after my dad said: 'Why don't you try to change what you hate?'. And I began to hate politics much worse than before. Instead of hating it, I know more about politics and it was weird, how finally politics and journalism became my passion. They became my passion, because I have a vision to make them better."

Azrina has the courage to follow something that she actually hates for years. She wants to change that, change something that she hates, in order to make it better for other people. She found her passion when she began to think wisely about what she hated. How about you? Do you want to take a role in a scope of something do you hate so much?

Sharima Umaya Said. She's the vice project leader of POTENSI, 16 years old, smart, and also ambitious. Her story is: "I just do what I can do. As long as I'm doing the right thing, it will give an impact to people, even the tiniest one. Despite thinking about how much it will give impacts, think about your guts while doing it. The impact is your plus point. Even I want to follow my passion so bad - having Foodtech as my major - sometimes there are considerations. I need to think twice about every decisions, because I have the responsibility on them. But however bad the condition, I never let condition put my desire and my passion down. Passion is the only thing that makes me feel alive."

Sharima never let the condition and situation bring her passion down. She keeps develop her passion even if finally she don't take the scope of her passion as her major. But she knows what she should do, she knows that she has responsibilities of her passion even thought she is unable to follow it. What about you? Do you still know your real passion despite all of your responsibilities in life? Have you ever thought that your passion is one of your responsibilities?

Firdaus Bani. He's the financial manager of POTENSI. He always want to become a doctor, why?

"About future, I always want to be someone who can travel around the world. It always be my passion since I was a kid. But when I began to think about others, I want to become a doctor. Become someone who can able to help the future of others. I want to save people's life."

Even Bani has his own desire, his own childhood dream he always wants so bad, he keeps think about the others. He wants to save the future of others, despite of thinking about himself. If you see the reality that there's still a person like this who think about your future, how about you? Have you ever thought to think about your own future?

Indah Novrinta. She's the team leader of logistic division. "I always want to be an entrepreneur, I want to make more opportunities of jobs and grow more qualities on human-beings. I want to make an inspiration for them to fight more, survive more, and work more. Become an entrepreneur is one of the ways, which you can use to inspire other people to not give up easily. To reach the success."

Indah has a wish to make her own opportunity as an entrepreneur. But she wants to share her opportunity to the others. She wants to make other people also experience the same opportunity as hers. She is speaking out loud about her own dreams. How about you? Have you ever wanted to share a slice of pie to the person next to you?

Adryan Wicaksono. He's the assistant team leader of logistic division. "I want to become an architect. But I made a wrong decision in majoring, instead of give up, I keep try to make it happen. I don't want to give up after I held on for so long, I don't want to make a useless experience. Somehow I didn't regret my decision of majoring. Even it felt so hard before, I believe I can go through it. And I'm enjoying my own decision when I tried not to regret anything. It's life."

However unfair life is in the eyes of Adryan, he never thinks of giving up. However wrong the decision he has made, he took it and faced it. And he went through it. He keep hold his passion even he has tasted being in the wrong direction. And he's fighting for his passion, he wants to make it happen. How about you? When you think to give up, have you ever thought why you were able to held on for so long?

Joshua Agusta. He's the head of Managing Executive, the senior advisor of POTENSI itself. "I had a chance to decide between 3 choices: Take the Cambridge's scholarship, learn music at Germany below the curriculum of my expert teacher, or study business. I hate business so much, I put business into my list because my dad always wants me to become his successor. The best choice might be Cambridge, but I consider this: 'What's the point of my education if I can't apply it on Indonesia?'. If I choose Cambridge, I won't know the pressure to live in Indonesia, I won't practically understand to help. Then, what's the purpose of my experience of having a high-quality education? It's nothing. Even I want to have my own 'world' and enjoyment in music, I think about how music can help the prosperity of Indonesian people? So among all my hates and depression of business, I choose it. Not for myself, I took economy in order to make a solution for my country. I refuse to take that big opportunity from Cambridge, but I don't regret it. I never able to regret it. For me, I can gain more when I stay here with my people. I gain the thing named the sense of being 'Indonesian'. The pressure, the struggle, and the survival."

You might think that Joshua is a dumb. Cambridge, people, that's one of the greatest universities in the world! But he refused to take it, he took University of Indonesia as his college. Because he knew the purpose of his presence in this country. He knew what kind of thing he must do in order to make a better generation. He knew that the thing we always think as the 'good thing', sometimes not the 'right thing' in our life. He chose to become right than become good. He chose to dedicate his life for the worst plan. How about you? Have you ever think to follow the 'right path' instead of the 'good path'? Because not every good path is a right path, but every right path is a good path for you. Not for now, maybe later - after years.

Karina Nurherbyanti. She's the team member of accommodation division. "I was inspired by Lady Diana, I want to be like her, someone who had big responsibilities but still able to help the others."

Calvin Budianto. He's the team member of event division. "Success is about try to do what you can do, try to be yourself. Being someone who do something rather than waiting."

Karina and Calvin are able to speak what's in their minds. The simplest thing every human can do. How about you? Have you ever tried to speak something? To say something you always want to say?

***

You know, change happens when you are start to act. Those are the sharing of the people in POTENSI. I really got inspired by them. They don't give up on their passion. And I'm glad to know this people. Beside the inspirations, they made us believe that a better future is still possible.

And what's your passion? Are you a part of the better future?

Time Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:34:00 +0000

I'm glad I can write one more random post here. I miss this blog so much. Unfortunately, I've got several busy months before and also a hectic schedule yet a long to-do-list, so well I can't tell to you what just happened. By the way before I'm late, happy new year 2011! 2010 was a surprise for me, and outrageous year indeed! Speak of the devil, randomly I used to miss 2010 so much. Will try to write my 2010's kaleidoscope later. (Sigh, perhaps after I've done all these homework)

In 2011, I really wish that miracle does exist. I don't know why even if people believe that miracle does exist, it never happen to me in the right time. Somehow I feel the miracle itself wants to teach me to have a grace without expecting it. And I'm questioning, is it wrong to wish for something you always want, since the first breath of our life? People say if we want it so bad, we'll have it at the right time. And yeah, I'm wishing for the right time at the moment.

In 2011, I really wish that I can learn more about humility. About being a down-to-earth person. About flying without forgetting to stay on the ground. About stop blabbering and start listening on someone.

In 2011, I really wish I can get rid of my insomniac-sickness. For my own good, having a sleepless night isn't healthy anywhere, even a kindergarten kid knows it. Yeah, I have a bad experience about insomniac.

In 2011, I really wish I can practically explain the idiom of 'whatever floats on your boat'. I deserve to be happy, but for a period of time I think the way to be happy is just the strangest riddle in the world. A riddle I never able to solve.

In 2011, I really wish everything will be paid off, as hard as I've done.

In 2011, I just want to think more about my own sake, my own presence in the world. 2010 made me think that for several moments... I just being someone with hopeless dreams. I want to be more visionary, but not in the obsessive way. I want to see the world more than I've ever read.

2010 taught me several things:

Never give up on anybody, miracles happen everyday.
Be brave even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
Think big thoughts, relish small pleasures.
Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
Never deprive someone of hope, it might be all they have.
Strive for excellent, not perfection.
Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
Never cut what can be untied.
Don't expect life to be fair.
Remember that success comes for the one who acts first.
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them (Umm, I haven't accomplished this task)
Remember that nobody makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
Never underestimate the power of kind words and deed.
Laugh a lot. Good sense of humor cures almost all of life's ills.
Don't miss the magic of the moment by focusing on what's to come.
Watch for big problems. They disguise big opportunities.

Seriously, I miss being a such an happy person who can smile without any doubts. Maybe I'm too dramatically suspicious about life. I need to think more about it, not feel it. When I can think more about life, I can see it as a comedy. But when I feel it, I see it as tragedy.

I want to be happy this year. Let's being happy together, okay?

"World Can't Handle Us"

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:35:00 +0000

According to the title, somehow at first I'm quite agree. I'm not trying to be an over-optimist, but anyway we're the human beings - whom have been mandated to explore and take care of this earth. And there's ain't nothing wrong if human beings can state that we're the one who rule the world. This is the part of our failure, the human-beings' failure: We've forgotten the other side of our presence, taking care of 'something'.

There are a bunch of shits which should be taken care of. And it's really really tiring. Human beings always be given more and more and more responsibilities and a long list of to-do-list. As we know, most of people learn to be focus, to reach a point, to fulfill their life's targets in order to step closer to their life's plan. And somehow, with those obsessions and responsibilities, we forget the tiniest obligation.

I've been reading for almost hundred times, about the destination of people on the earth. They live, love, laugh, and die. It doesn't sound worth it at all, because the real impact of every human's life is not visible yet when they still alive, but the impact is how their gaining will grow their descendant. And beside, talking about our urgency in this world as economical interests, we forget to 'gain' something. To gain something, the things that we will bring to our last party in the earth. The things which aren't secular.

We can see that my generation is facing a period of disasters, problems, and conflicts. That's what the government always do, leads - solves past problems - and leaves another problems. Even sometimes they make more imbroglio instead of solving anything before they came down from the reign.

At once, I am thinking about why our country become so chaotic with the occurrence of natural disasters such as Merapi, Mentawai, and Wasior. When actually, we are the one who should become the 'caretaker', the handle of the world. But in fact, the world is handling us right now. Why we are having such disasters? What's wrong with us?

Rather than mocking our president as a bad-luck or whatsoever, let's evaluate ourselves. Have we taken care of this earth in a right way? Have we remembered about some little obligations to hear the nature's voice? Have we pursued our life in balance? Have we remembered to understand the things that actually should be our priorities?

And I finally realized, that we remember a lot of things that sometimes actually don't need to be remembered. Some random shits, some obsessions, some selfishness and self-thinking... We remember many things, but as the world goes around, we seldom recognize the things around us. To be abbreviated, the world itself. We are living on the thing that we take it for granted. I think that's sense enough, if the 'world' want to punish us in such ways.

These disasters aren't the end of everything. This is a sign for our generation to be aware of our obligation, get rid of many nonsense obsessions and take visions. World never able to handle us, if we're doing the right things. But to be noted, not all of good things also the right things. Think twice, people. What you do today is enforcing your tomorrow. If we don't want to be hurt, don't hurt. If we don't want to be hurt by earth, don't make it cry.

Science Changed My Last 4 Months Without Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:57:00 +0000

I think a persons life is supposed to be like a DVD. You can see the version everyone else sees, or you can choose the directors cut-the way he wanted you to see it, before everything else got in the way. There are menus, probably, so that you can start at the good spots and not have to relive the bad ones. You can measure your life by the number of scenes you’ve survived, or the minutes you’ve been stuck there. Probably, though, life is more like one of those dumb video surveillance tapes. Grainy, no matter how hard you stare at it. And looped: the same thing, over and over.

Hell yeah, I'm going to be insane. Will be offline for 3 days, having a training at the air forces. Wish me luck.

Amethyst

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:30:00 +0000

I don't know how many of my readers are facing a period of moving on. What's moving on? According to my assumption, we can conclude 'moving on' as move forward, also in the metaphorical sense; "Time marches on".

I don't know why this issue also become so important for some of people, including me. Why? The deepest confession above my head right now is: I'm still unable to move on.

It has been almost 2 years since the last time I've spoken tenderly to him. Let me take you to a clear story then, I met him when I was a 5th grader. I don't know when, what, and where - he was a part of the boyscout leaders and I was having a training about knits. I met him for the second time when I was a freshman in junior-high school. He was a part of students council. And the first time I spoke to him when I have become a part of student council. And yes, the first time I knew his name - a riddle brought us to know each other closer. Just a riddle, crosswords, puzzle, and it's amazing to remember how life brings two strangers get closer each day. We shared about funny stories, and the wrote about how both of us impressed each other - even I just knew his writing nowadays.

And maybe, my biggest mistake was enjoying the beginning without considering the ending. You know, talking about confession, the real experience of my memories happened when I was writing 'Cakrawala', 'April', and now I'm writing a compilation of fresh short-stories (which never been published anywhere), namely 'Amethyst'.

Unlike my stone, Sapphire, Amethyst has its own power of wisdom. Sapphire just has a power to protect its master, but Amethyst has a power to bring calmness and clarity where there is anxiety and confusion. It will be easy for him to move on. When do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understand that yesterday remains a yesterday. And it will never be the same again. And that's why I've never got: I'd rather live in my yesterday than my future.

I never want to overthink. But, I just can’t help myself from checking out your profile on social networks. I can’t stop stalking your new photos and giggling when I see it. I can’t stop myself from dreaming that one day you’ll realize that I was really the one for you. If I could go back and change one thing, I would have told you how I felt before I got tangled up in strings of my own lies. I need to feel something. I want to fall for someone. But it seems impossible when I’m still stuck on you.

I saw you today and realized how far apart we’ve grown. I know I should talk to you and ask you how you’ve been doing, and I really wish that I could, but it’s just occurred to me that we’re strangers now. You don’t know me anymore, much less want to. It’s okay that you’ve moved on. I know that everything is different now, I’ve been staying strong. Somehow it's funny though, I'm still trying to remember how things has happened, even it has happened for almost 2 years behind.

I know I’m over you, it’s just that every time I see you, you remind me of things I never want to remember again. Yes, it is sad, this is sad, and I’m sad. And now we’re just two different people, trying to forget about each other. Face it, we’ve drifted apart. We don’t have anything to talk about anymore. I miss ‘em old days when you would instantly message me as soon as I logged in. Now? I’d be lucky to even get a “hey” or “hi” from you.

I miss holding your hand. I miss waking up to your texts. I miss our long goodbyes. I miss laughing with you. I miss hearing your voice on the phone late at night. I miss the way you try to say romantic things, but they turn out dorky. I miss keeping ‘us’ a secret from everyone else. I miss the Friday nights we spent together. I miss how you laugh at my jokes (which actually not funny). I miss how we talk about randomest shits ever in a day. I miss how we share the french fries behind our biology book. I miss how you teach me about a chapter of genetics and organ systems. I miss how we bet and analyze the real murder of Conan's case. I miss how we share the earphones, listened to Hillsong in the bus.

I've decided a point: If it's not you, it will never be you. But if you are really for me, you will always be, no matter how you try to set me free. Sometimes the best solution is to let each other go. And see where that takes you both, together at the end, or apart forever. There comes a point in your life when you realize that nothing will ever be the same, and you realize that from now on time will be divided into two parts — before this and after this.

And when we meet; which I’m sure we will; all that was there, will be there still. I’ll let it pass and hold my tongue and you will think that I’ve moved on. I know that things aren't gonna be the same between us again. Honestly, I miss you.

I dedicate Amethyst, in order to celebrate seventeen years of your life. I dedicate April, in order to prove that your words were kept safely - as my promise, I will protect the stories as a living memory. I dedicate Cakrawala, in order to confess that actually - my only weakness is you. But you're also the one who make me strong enough to write.

I wish that I had never met you. Then there would be no need to impress you. No need to want you. No need for loving you. No need for crying over you. No need for heartbreaks. No need for pain or tears. No need for forgotten promises. No need for crying myself to sleep. No need for acting like you care. No need, for everything you've done to make me feel like absolutely nothing.

But then again, I'm glad I did meet you. Cause you were the one who always asked me if anything was wrong. You were to one who loved me for me. The one who cared when everyone else didn't. The one who listened. The one who stayed up late just to talk about the randomest shit ever. You were the one who I told secrets to. The one who taught me new things which my school unable to teach. The one who laughed at my bad jokes. The one who did things. And when finally I admit that I'm not the best for you, the best thing I will be able to do is let the best part of you to happened - your smile.

(A piece of a short-story: "Beginning and Ending At Once" - Amethyst)

I will publish the Amethyst around the end of February, self-publishing, and probably I'm using an online publishing. Kindly read later, so stay tune. And I'll let you to know the real story of Bimosaka and Emil.

The Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Nowadays, I do less blogging and less tweeting. Maybe some of you are asking or maybe... not. The only reason why am I taking a break from this virtual life, that's because of IGN1TE 2010: Introducing New Generation in SMAK 1 Through Competitions and Arts.

And right now, I won't write about how's it going, but mainly focus about the theme that have been taken as the icon of IGN1TE: Generation. Yes, we also have the jingle of IGN1TE which titled 'Generasi Muda'.

As the youngest generation of SMAK 1 family, I've decided that maybe, I won't make a really wonderful academic result. I know my own limits, I'm a typical geek and nerd, but probably I'm not a typical diligent student and the genius student with a high IQ score. I'm an ordinary student who just involved in out-of-class activities. But being ordinary doesn't refer to the conclusion that I can't do something for my own generation. Why I really care about the future's of my generation and also the younger generation below us?

First, I think that everything that will happen later to our younger generation is a sign of our efforts today. I do believe in a statement that say 'Tomorrow Starts Today'. I don't want harm my 'little-sibling', and my mission is to give a 'heritage' from what I've developed and tried. I really wish that what I am doing right now will be a useful thing to walk on their life, become an everlasting lesson and give their better efforts in order to achieve a better result than what I've had. Everything is about them, not about my generation.

Second, about the generation's impact to the society. I'm happy to be a part of my generation, according to this idea. Why? Because as we can see, young people in my generation are really aware about something and also have the courage to do actions, even the action only speak out their mind. But speak out their voices is also a part of action itself. So the point is, my generation is already has the dissatisfaction and a mindset to think about the others, fight against the modern individualistic culture.

Third, being young is a chance to provide a room for yourself. Young people always get more opportunities, but beside, young people are also able to make their own chance. They live in opportunity, and live for opportunity. Those are the reasons why young people always have a bigger responsibility and risks.

You know, somehow I do understand why Soekarno said that young people will be able to change the world. We are the key of revolution, in many revolution. Technology, education, development... We are a part of the change. Maybe because young people always become a part of world's history, that's why we're here to make our nation's history. Someday, you'll be a part of it. Someday, your name will be written in every pages of Indonesian history. Someday - if you are willing to be a part of revolution.

Change. How many times I've heard about that? Agent of change, changemakers, and many more. Why we need a change? Why does change always sound so important?

Beside, change isn't only important, but also has its own urgency. The only thing that never change, is the change itself. That's why we need it. Change isn't labile. We need change, we need a younger generation, because sometimes rather than fix something broken, maybe we need to start all over again and create something better.

I'm happy to stay and write my nationality as 'Indonesian', in front of the universe. Because when I live here, I'll be a part of survivors who pretend to be warriors. Someday. Someday we'll know how beautiful a laugh is, because we've been crying for years - facing all the challenges between each diversity.

Question Mark

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:36:00 +0000

And so, I wait because you have already left and my work here, is done. I wait and wonder how my skin feels like it’s made of love letters written a hundred years too soon (too late). I wonder at the mystery of life and how much of it can possibly remain. I wonder at pain and hurt and love and time and how much of each I held. I wonder at how I cannot remember anything in my life before I met you. I wonder at the tiniest of touches and try, desperately, to keep their memories alive. I wonder at loneliness. I wonder at how long it’ll be, before I see you again. I wait. And I wonder.

There’re lots of things out there. Fakes, doubters, liars, prophets, dreamers, lovers, fighters, believers… Everyone fits into a category. No matter what we may say, we all hate at least one person. No matter how we choose to feel, we will always love that one person who doesn’t love us back. Regardless of supposed ignorance, we all know the truth. It’s this game of life. It’s this mystery. Now, I don’t know how to solve it. But by God, even if I have to battle a fucking komodo dragon, I will get out alive.

Make A Wish Or Make It Happen

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:15:00 +0000

Closer to God. Without Him, I will do nothing. Without Him, I won't write this post for sure.
A happy year for my soulmate(s). Family, Sharima, Karina, Azrina, Adeline, Cindy, Jessica, and G. Everyone, especially all of you who currently reading this post.
Able to make priorities, able to choose which one is urgent and which one is important.
Everything won't change afterall. But everything developed a little, and keep going.
Moving on. Please highlight and mark this sentence. Moved further than around Melbourne up to England and Dublin.
More and more and more responsibility. To achieve the best, I shouldn't be the best, but do the best.
Soulmate. And will able to admit that soulmate comes and goes. Two soul in one body. Woot, please notice that 'soulmate' isn't the synonym of 'boyfriend'. At least in my dictionary.
Laugh as breathing, and cry as eating. Doing them without pressure, without fakes.
Able to respect choices and opportunity. They come in reasons, but happen because of dedication.
365 wisdom in a year. A number of trials and errors. Amen for that.
Meet Paul Krugman, Dick Morris, and Neil Gaiman. Randomly error.
Improve SAT, speak German fluently, and scholarship for Trinity College.
Successful POTENSI and Hand of Youth. I can't wait to make my dream come true!
Good responses from my first book. And publish the second one.
Young Association Culture Project done. Next step: POTENSI as International Year of Youth's program, UN General Assembly, Global Changemakers, and COP/CCF.

15 Candles

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:42:00 +0000

15, welcome to my life. 15, please be kind. 15, you're not my lucky number, but please bring the luck closer. 15, you're not my favorite result in numbers, but you're still a number which deserve to be counted. 15, I got a feeling that you'll be awesome. 15, open your eyes and face the audience. 15, act properly. 15, stay true. 15, don't cry because big girl don't cry. 15, maybe this year won't be the best time of my life, but there are moments which will bring irreplaceable knowledge. 15, make a wish. 15, see my wishes for you on the next post. 15, I don't ask for a beautiful reality - so calm down.

Who Says?

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:49:00 +0000

Exhausting week, and a number of bad days. I'm okay with bad things, but somehow I often think that I deserve a fairness - 50-50, balancing the good and the bad. I deserve luck when I need it, somehow I rarely use my own luck. So, what's wrong if sometimes I just want to have a comparable result as the payment of my effort until I have to force myself when I was unable to do it? Yes, life is pissing me off at the moment. I've done my best, but why I can't achieve the best?

Are you having a complicated situation right now? Same here. Maybe we can share some ideas how to boost our mood. Having a bad mood will reduce our productivity, and this thing will be another problem. So here we go. My mood booster is remembering some trivial sayings from my family and friends.


In front of Musee de Louvre, Paris, France.

Dads. My daddy always busy with his work, and seldom care about random little things in his children's life. He works day and night, but on Saturday he spends his leisure time for a discussion. And he always says:

"If you've made a choice, go further until you've found new choices. Choice, no matter how bad is the effect, has a power to build a wiser decision. Not for today, but tomorrow."

Mums. My mum is a career woman, she is very attractive and has a wide association, group, society, or another similar term. She always thinks that experience beats dedication or talent - I quite disagree anyway. She said:

"Everything you do will be a reflection of who you are. And your identity starts not from yourself, but your ability to listen the sound in your brain - admit the sound in your heart, but act in balance."

Joshua. I think the most inspiring person who influence my life a lot is him. I grown up with him, just two of us. We fight each other, forgive each other, and share about anything. He always inspires me about basic things, philosophy, and random important things which most of people always forget - a vision.

"Without a vision, there will be no reason. Without a reason, there will be no purpose. Without a purpose, there will be no change. If there's a change without a vision, then it will be a change which change nothing."

Azrina. When you're talking about soulmate, I will choose her no matter what!

"There's nothing wrong about learning, including learn to trust, learn to be though, and learn to cure the wounded heart. Learning always led to a new knowledge and experience, no matter how small, it's better than nothing."

Jessica. The happiest girl I've ever known. With her, sunshine rises brighter.

"Cheer up! If there's a bad thing, if there's a pressure, they are the proves that you are alive. And life's good as the brand of your mobile phone."

Seriously, it will get better tomorrow.

Take a breath. Bring laughter inside. Inhale positivity, exhale negativity. Especially in a rainy day, it helps a lot.
Take a cup of vanilla latte or hot chocolate. They have an extra essence to make us calm, comforting the situation, also the best mate of broken-heart victims. Oyeah.
Take a bath. Fresh from the oven.
Watch funny movies on DVD. My favorite is Kung Fu Panda, Tooth Fairy, and Pixar.
Take an earphone, plug in, and ignore the world. Sing loudly. My playlist right now is Seringan Awan (Homogenic), Blatant (Leonardo), Hero (Sterling Knight), Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz), Stuck Like Glue (Sugarland), Far Away From You (Music For Sale), I'd Rather Dance With You (Kings of Convenience), High (Lighthouse Family), Let's Just Fall In Love Again (Jason Castro), Stay Here Forever (Jewel).
Read, write, express anything. I always read 'Home' by Ashley Ng to make me stronger. Or 'Olive Kitteridge' by Elizabeth Strout, and 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Self-motivation. Face a mirror and assure yourself that you can solve anything. I always say: "If I have a problem, the problem won't exceed my ability to solve it.

Sun will shine brighter tomorrow, it always does.

Why So Serious?

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:56:00 +0000

"Why are you serious, Gabs?"

Randomly answered question. And while answering, I always laugh.

"Me? Serious? Oh you are kidding. But if you ask me, I will ask you; 'why not?'."

There's nothing wrong to be a typical easy-going and fun-fun-solution person, mate. I'd tell you, there's nothing wrong. I am a typical person who really support human rights, and I think it's your right to choose the way to living life. Again, about this seriousness. Why am I so serious?

I'm a typical person who set my own priority, which is sometimes - not having fun. Don't ask me when will I have my own 'fun', because I have it all the way! According to me, my life is the fun itself. Study? You can make it as a fun thing (Well yeah, I got the idea from my partner: Sharima) by make some gombal-ism about the lessons. Read? You'll get the fun when you know that you've gained some new knowledge. Organization? This-is-my-life.

Why I need a lot of seriousness? This is my opinion, but for me, life won't happen twice. And I don't want to regret my own life by do nothing. What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable? And a period of life won't happen twice, and being fourteen won't happen twice. Randy Pausch said, the key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.

Being busy and productive aren't necessarily the same. And by the way, you can having fun without being unproductive. Fun, isn't about being inattentive. Life isn't that 'hard' until you need to be addicted with your own fugitive or escape. Balance, and life goes on.

Try this: Stop hiding who you really are. Although it feels like the path of least resistance, it actually takes more energy to live from your Conditioned Self than to live authentically - the person you were born to be.

Start being intensely selfish. Many people believe that making themselves the key person in their lives is a bad thing. It’s simply good common sense. After all, you’re the only person who’s with you 24/7 until you draw your last breath.

Stop following the rules. While some rules are necessary and good for us, living a life based on others’ rules, needs, and expectations can stifle your self-expression and creativity, and keep a lid on your potential.

Start scaring yourself. People avoid expanding their comfort zones out of fear, missing out on people and experiences that can enrich their lives. Know that fear is a normal reaction to taking risks and learn how to override them.

Start getting rid of the crap. Being bogged down by possessions you don’t need can be an energy-drain. Many people go into debt because they buy things to fill the voids in their lives. Clear out clutter that distracts you, and you’ll free up energy to create a life you enjoy.

Stop being busy. Many people keep busy to avoid taking action on things they’re afraid to pursue. Identify your priorities and allocate your time and energy to achieving the goals to which you aspire (I've done it for your information! :D)

Start something. Procrastination is a common reaction to feeling overwhelmed or fear of failure. Instead of taking on too much at once and overwhelming yourself, break things down and take one small action step at a time.

Seriousness, isn't a bad thing. This is the key which bring your integrity and responsibility in life. As long as you are breathing, you will stuck in life. But there always two ways, and now our job is finding the second way. Don't stop believing. Our time on earth is short, and as someone once said, “No one gets out of this alive.” Instead of ruminating about how bad things are, bring laughter into your world and focus on what’s good about your self and your life.

Blogger, New Post, Publish, and Woot.

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:24:00 +0000

Sorry for almost... err, I have no idea. I haven't done any new posts since 'Invisibility' and may this quick update become my apology.

- We've recruited some new members of #POTENSI committee, and I'm proud with them. Blew ideas, worked for hours, and all of them felt so... exciting. I won't get bored with this duty. Pray for us, we'll have a meeting with United Nations around October. And yeah, we're searching for 'Dute POTENSI Indonesia'.

- Azrina have edited the complete version of Cakrawala (The first book, and the title is already confirmed!), and I've edited the complete version of April (The second book). So here we go... I've got two endorsers so far, Hanny Kusumawati and Sitta Karina. Wanna be the endorser too?

- I've attended the MDG workshop by Indonesian Future Leaders. Well, it was quite inspiring, especially Kak Seto's story. And he agreed to help POTENSI and Hand of Youth. But beside, I concluded that our government need a revolution, either people or the system. Myeh. They confused us, and talked about quantities everytime - numbers, data, and cycle. Talked to my hand, dude. Don't ever you think that the worst problem is precisely the quality of education itself? Improve the education, then we'll lose the poverty. Change the whole-thought of 'The important thing is full stomach, life is worth nothing'.

- Have done some phrases, poems, and short stories. Haven't posted it. Blimey.

- Have done my essay for Trinity Young Leaders Summer School Scholarship. Pray for Melbourne. I'm writing about Barack Obama, as always.

- Have done an article for a newspaper, "Establish a Better Development - What Actually the Government Should Do". Kinda' difficult, and wish this could be a the complement for my job in National Young Journalist Congress.

- Got mellow easily nowadays. A Libra shouldn't be like this, I know. Balance, life sucks, but vacuum cleaner sucks better. I know I'm a typical person who always keep some secrets and pressure, and now it's distracting me. And Libra is... the best victim of broken heart. And I don't know why and how I still survive until now, with a recovered heart.

- Got a special review from Shana Rendrick, Skype fellow. She sent me a special review of VMA and New York Fashion Week. Congratulated her, because her article was published in New York Times - Opinions!

- My best friend has moved to Canberra, continued his study there. Keep wishing he won't forget to bring his wand, Ravenclaw's spirit, and galleons-knuts-sickles. Will miss him damn much, Ravenclaw's prefect, Guinandra Jatikusumo.

- Last, another apology... Will hiatus until September 29th. Mid-term-tests!

- Will blow 15 candles on the last day of mid-term test. Finally, 15.

And wish all of you to keep going from day to day.

Invisibility

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:32:00 +0000

Last Saturday, I used whole day for POTENSI's duties and Pena Dan Cerita's meeting. It was fun, really. But the most interesting part was the applicant's interview. I found a lot of many great people, talented youth, but unfortunately most of them haven't got a proper container to brought out their potential. An opportunity, as I've always said - is the crucial thing in making a beautiful Curriculum Vitae. Well, some of you might think so. Here, I'll tell you what will you get from doing 'something' outside there. Something which more valuable than anything.

Every applicants made their own impression, but I got my favorite. Actually, the last one. While interviewing, I always ask a same question:

"Why do you want to do volunteering?"

And I get a same expression in every faces. Confused. Maybe my question isn't something that most of applicants will expect, of course. I seldom receive the same question when I was interviewed. And I know, that the question isn't a kind of question that supposed to be asked. But however, I'm suspicious.

5 years I have volunteered in the scope of education. I started when I was 10 years old, from visited an orphanage and shared about the whole story of Mother Teresa, until found many young educators from many sectors - economy, music, art, math, and biology. 5 years I've experienced, I never found the logical reason why do I have to do this, share what I've got with people who even wasn't my family. Actually, I believe that everything should happen for reasons. I never expect that finally, I found an imagination which also a real thing at once. Something that my brother said as "Things we should obey first without questioning".

I don't know what kind of values every volunteers have. Some of them doing volunteering in case to find their identity, or find their passion. Or doing for fame. Or maybe, doing because they love it.

Complicated, isn't it? Thought giving is a sacrifice, thought there's no happiness in sacrifices. Sacrifice is hurtful, and as a normal human-being, we often run away from something that harm our comfort zone. Who don't want to be a happy-ending person?

In this case, I've found a paradox. When we stay at our comfort zone in order to reach a happiness, the happiness won't be a happiness. Just, happy. A kind of temporary happiness, which come and go for a moment. We learn the value of happiness when we can the taste of hurt. Sharima, my partner in POTENSI, do volunteering in this reason - you can keep going when you walked out from the comfort zone. By staying, you have no direction, you have no steps. Where are you going? Life goes on, and world turns around.

My own reason? I always think it's cliche. Maybe you can see in my Twitter's bio, I wrote down 'I'm a story teller who concern about my grandchild's world'. It isn't a parable, I really afraid that someday, my grandchildren will ask the same thing as what I'm questioning about. Once, I asked myself and my family, "Why there must be a global warming? It's a long process, as the process of petroleum. So, the thing that troubling us at the moment is the result of our grandparent's act, right? Why should we in trouble, not them?"

Ha, I know it's sarcastic. But I can't stop blaming my grandparent's generation, for making our life become so difficult than it should be - if they took care our earth carefully. Blaming, isn't the solution. I'm tired to keep upset to something that won't return. And I found that we need a cure, a help, which start from ourselves. We can't keep pointing to others and wish that someday, there'll be a regeneration of Mother Teresa.

I believe, all of you can do volunteering, in your own way. My concern is the lack of education, maybe your concern is the lack of creativity. Share your ability to paint. Maybe your concern is the lack of sport skills which less developed. Make a 'Sport Together' activity at Sudirman in Car Free Day. Maybe your concern is the fluency of reading and writing. Open your house's garage for a tiny library. Maybe your concern is about how sadly, most of street kids are not familiar with Peter Pan, Snow White, even Sangkuriang. So make a diorama, tell the street kids who stays near Monas, maybe also a drama about "Wayang".

World, never mind how big or small the things you've done. As long as it is good, as long as it is done for the benefit of others, the results will change a thing. That's why I believe everyone can be an agent of change. An agent of a better future, even by dreaming or writing about your hope. I created POTENSI, because I believe that hope isn't a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality.

I have a philosophy, about yeast as the example. In Bahasa, yeast means 'Ragi'. Have you ever made a bread? The only thing that can a soft bread is yeast. But in the process of bread-making, no one can see the yeast. The only thing that we can see just the dough. Yeast only a fraction of the bread, the smallest fraction. But ultimately, the yeast is a key to make a good bread. Yeast does not appear while giving an impact, but when it appeared a result, everyone will know that it is effort of the yeast.

Be the yeast people. Maybe, at the moment, the world doesn't need to know your effort for its future. Even people don't care about your strange activity - volunteering, help someone, etcetera. But when you dealt with it, you are ready to become the biggest fraction of your granchildren's history. Every things those you are willing for, will turn at the end, give you more willingness than before. And be proud with that, that's an evidence that you've got the most precious thing among universe, a pure heart.

And remember what Mother Teresa said; it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.

"There are four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."

-Johnny Depp

London's Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:32:00 +0000

One, two, three, some things you need to know about this amazing city.

From all European cities, I choose London as my favorite. Well I haven't visited Athena yet - so maybe I picked this 'Big Smoke' city for my first priority. Don't know why, London brings me back to a situation which fits my personality well. I love its atmosphere; conservative - classy and fabulous, yet intelligent.. It shows you the perfect place of knowledge, center from every transformation. Heathrow - London's airport, placed in Hillingdon. You can consider it as a vintage airport indeed, I'd rather choose Changi Airport as the best airport I've ever visited. I visited Big Smoke at Summer, expected a warm weather there - but it was a wrong expectation. It was around 12 degrees, to be note - in Summer. And also don't forget an umbrella, it was a rainy summer.

Joshua from ImagiTatem and me - Harrod's Department Store - London

As long as I walked on London's street, the most memorable thing was the Londoners. Most of Londoners are individual-type-of-person. Learned how the Londoners speak, I never able to resist the British accent. Harrod's has a vintage interior, with a big-wow goods there. Elie Tahar - checked. Henry Adams London - checked. Tootal London - checked. Roger Vivier - checked. Even I found Caleno (One kind of Italian sandwich) there, it contents raw ham, carmoscio d'Oro, arugula, tomatoes, and truffle oil.


Caleno Sandwich


Beef Wellington Flavor - Tyrell's made from vegetable oil for your information. Tasty!

Throughout its long history, it's been a green and pleasant land of England, a sceptred isle and a city of shopkeepers. It's stood as a beacon of democracy and a cradle of class oppression. It's a city of tea-tippling eccentrics and train spotters, of dog lovers and footy fanatics, of punk rockers, gardeners, gnome collectors, celebrity wannabees, superstar chefs, free-wheeling city traders, pigeon fanciers, cricket bores and part-time Morris Dancers.

A big fan of Harry Potter series? Remember these in the first book? Yes, Mars Bars chocolate which turned to Chocolate Frog. I'm still craving for pumpkin juice, butterbeer, treacle tarts, licorice wands, cockroach clusters, cauldron cakes!


Londoners never text or busy with gadgets - however Apple launch the iPad in London, as the first destination in West Europe. No wonder, they always read in the tube. Quirky fact.

Everyone comes to London with a preconception of the metropolis shaped by a multitude of books, movies, TV shows, and songs. Whatever yours is, prepare to have it shattered by this endlessly fascinating, amorphous city.

Don't believe anyone who claims to know London - you could spend a lifetime exploring it and find that the slippery thing's gone and changed on you. One thing is constant: that great serpent of a river enfolding the city in its sinuous loops, linking London both to the green heart of England and the world. The Empire may be long gone but the engines of global capital continue to be stoked by the side of the Thames. This only adds to London's vibrant, finger-on-the-pulse persona. It's also what makes it the third-most expensive city in the world.

But London's in no danger of slumbering anytime soon. From Roman times the world has come to London, put down roots and whinged about the weather. There's no place on earth that is more multicultural; any given street yields a rich harvest of languages. Those narrow streets are also steeped in history, art, architecture. With endless reserves of cool, London is one of the world's great cities, if not the greatest.

Everyone from Winston Churchill and George Orwell to broadcast journalist Jeremy Paxman has had a stab at defining the English character, but no one's ever managed to pin down any concrete definition of 'Englishness'. They're deeply fond of championing their love of animals, their generosity towards charities and their liberal, progressive values, but ask them to abandon their imperial measurement, ditch their beloved pound or build something on green-belt land and they'll fight to the bitter end. And despite what the politicians say, the class of system is still very much alive; recent studies have conclude that England has one of the widest wealth gaps and lowest levels of social mobility anywhere in the western world - chavs, toffs, townies, snobs, nimbies - are bandied about with relative abandon.

Democracy Village, next to House of Parliament

Unsurprisingly, people tend to be friendlier outside the big cities; trying to spark up a chat on the tube is likely to win you stares of incredulous horror, while you'll often find yourself having a natter if you're held up in a bus queue.

The best thing in London is Oxford Street - a big street as cheerful as Kemang Village. You can find any things there, hawkers, street food, and some of quirky cuisine. Maybe take some cuppa (A London's nick of cups) - in an empty Starbucks. Yes, Londoners drink tea, not coffee indeed. Another kind of specialty, Londoners have a good sense of humour. Heavily ironic, sharp and self-deprecating, the Londoners' sense of humour sails over the heads, but until you get a handle on the habit of 'taking the mickey', you'll be missing a crucial key of understanding the peculiar country trick.

And they're hardworking. The Londoners work the longest hours and spend more time commuting to work than practically anywhere in Europe. Beside, at weekend, they're couch potato-es.

So what do you think about this city? You should visit London before you die. You know, I always wish someday Jakarta will has a big curiosity as London. With its friendly behavior of course, but it shows me that knowledge built a movement. Perhaps, someday, we can be proud with our own accent - 673 languages to go in this archipelago!

Note:
You should visit Foyle's bookstore in Charing Cross Road (Use underground - Tottenham Court Rd), Baker Street (Meet Sherlock Holmes' house there), Regent's Park, British Museum, Bag O' Nails (The famous fish and chips restaurant), Tower of London, and of course - walking through the Leicester Square. You owe those places, a lot.

Potential, Not Kinetic

noreply@blogger.com (Kezia Gabriella Agusta) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:36:00 +0000

Mungkin sudah melihat timeline saya, Sharima, Azrina, Calvin, ataupun Cherine dengan hashtag #POTENSI. Banyak yang bertanya tentang "POTENSI" ini, jadi karena proyek ini belum punya social networking, saya akan menjelaskan secara singkat di sini ya. Maaf ya tulisan dalam bahasa Indonesia :)

Hello folks, terimakasih ya atas respon di Twitter atas proyek "POTENSI" ini. Sesuai janjiku, ini deskripsi garis besarnya. Mudah-mudahan kalian bisa berpartisipasi baik sebagai panitia maupun tamu yang datang. Ini akan jadi e-mail yang sedikit panjang, jadi maaf bagi yang membacanya melalui BlackBerry. Kalau ada pertanyaan atau respon, kasih tau aku aja. Ngomong-ngomong, kita dari panitia "POTENSI" juga membuka Open Recruitment untuk bidang Sponsorship, Logistic, Venue, Administration, dan Event. Kirim CV kalian ke e-mailku (keziagabriellaagusta@gmail.com atau sharimaumaya@yahoo.com) ya kalau ada yang mau mendaftar :)

PEMBUKAAN
“POTENSI” (Proyek Talenta, Mimpi, dan Deklarasi Janji) merupakan proyek kepemudaan dalam rangka merayakan Hari Sumpah Pemuda. “POTENSI” dilaksanakan oleh organisasi non-profit yang memfokuskan tujuan pada edukasi, yaitu Hand of Youth (HOY) dan berkolaborasi dengan LookAround (LAR) – dua buah organisasi non-profit yang bergerak di bidang sosial. Proyek ini dibina dengan tujuan agar pemuda Indonesia dapat menggali potensi mereka dan membuat sebuah janji tersendiri untuk meraih mimpi-mimpi mereka sekaligus turut berperan aktif dalam memajukan negara dengan sumbangsih mereka.

VISI
Pemuda memiliki tiga hal yang krusial dalam kemajuan peradaban, dan hal-hal tersebut tidak dimiliki oleh orang lain, yaitu: kreativitas, semangat, dan ketidakpuasan. Tiga hal tersebut, sebagaimana dikatakan oleh presiden Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia – Soekarno – berfungsi sebagai pengubah dunia. Selain itu, pemuda juga memiliki mimpi dan harapan positif terhadap segala sesuatu. Sayangnya, mimpi-mimpi tersebut lebih sering kandas karena mimpi mereka tidak tersaring dan terbimbing dengan benar. Terlebih lagi dengan globalisasi yang makin gencar belakangan ini, mimpi tersebut tidak diimbangi dengan inisiatif sehingga apatisme pemuda semakin menumpuk dan meluas. Salah satu faktor kandasnya mimpi tersebut adalah kesulitan para pemuda untuk menggali potensi dirinya sendiri. Banyak anak muda yang akhirnya hijrah ke luar negeri karena merasa negaranya tidak mampu menghargai potensi yang mereka miliki. “POTENSI” dibuat dengan tujuan ‘membimbing’ anak muda untuk mencari tahu potensi diri mereka sehingga mimpi mereka dapat tersalurkan dan menggunakannya untuk memenuhi kewajiban mereka kepada bangsa Indonesia.

GARIS BESAR

“POTENSI” akan diadakan di Taman Museum Nasional (MONAS)*, Jakarta, pada hari Sabtu, 30 Oktober 2010. Acara ini berbentuk festival sehari, dimulai dari sesi dari para pemuda Indonesia berprestasi tentang pengembangan potensi dan manfaat bermimpi, penampilan berbagai komunitas pemuda Jakarta (Daftar komunitas yang diundang terlampir), bazaar (Diikuti oleh berbagai wirausaha kreatif pemuda Indonesia seperti KAMAR, Tea for Two, dll), deklarasi sumpah pemuda oleh 28 wakil sekolah di Jakarta, dan kios training dari beragam komunitas – sehingga pemuda-pemuda Indonesia bisa mengembangkan minat sekaligus menemukan bakat mereka yang mungkin selama ini terpendam. Di akhir acara, “POTENSI” akan ditutup dengan seremonial penerbangan seribu layangan yang kami harapkan dapat menjadi rekor MURI.

DETIL ACARA

A. “DARI PEMUDA UNTUK PEMUDA”

Berisikan pembukaan acara “POTENSI” yang berbentuk Deklarasi Pemuda dalam rangka merayakan Hari Sumpah Pemuda dan dibacakan oleh 28 perwakilan dari berbagai Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) di Jakarta (daftar sekolah yang diundang terlampir). Juga pemutaran film dokumenter tentang kepemudaan. Kami mengundang 3 pemuda berprestasi untuk mengisi sesi ini dengan berbagi cerita mengenai pengalaman mereka dalam mengembangkan potensi diri.

B. “MEMIJAK BUMI"

Sesi dibuka dengan presentasi dan wawancara singkat tentang pemuda yang menonjol di bidang yang sesuai dengan potensinya. Pembukaan membahas tentang pentingnya menggali potensi diri, dan hubungannya potensi pemuda dengan kemajuan peradaban serta negara.

Selanjutnya, peserta sesi akan diberikan satu layang-layang/orang dan diminta untuk menuliskan potensi mereka di atas layang-layang. Peserta akan diajak untuk menerbangkan layang-layang yang sudah dibubuhi tulisan mengenai potensi mereka secara bersamaan. Hal ini merupakan analogi dari sebuah potensi yang harus dikontrol dan diurus oleh pemiliknya dengan baik, sama seperti layang-layang yang bisa jatuh atau terbang semakin tinggi. Potensi juga bisa menjatuhkan sekaligus mendukung seseorang, tetapi semua bergantung pada karakter pemiliknya.

C. “MEMBERI HARAPAN”

Peserta dapat mengunjungi kios-kios yang terdapat di samping tenda seminar. Kios-kios tersebut terdiri dari berbagai komunitas yang menjadi sebuah kesatuan di dalam “POTENSI” – mulai dari komunitas Lomonesia (Fotografi), Angklung, Bike To School, Graffiti, Parkour, NGO (Non Government Organization), Orkestra, Penyuka Baca, Blogger, dan lain-lain. Peserta dapat memilih kios yang sesuai dengan potensi mereka, dan di tiap kios terdapat sesi singkat tentang pembelajaran lebih lanjut dalam bidang komunitas tersebut. Sesi ini bertujuan agar potensi dan minat pemuda dapat tergali dengan lebih mudah.

D. “MENJUNJUNG LANGIT”

Peserta akan diberikan balon, dan balon-balon tersebut akan ditulisi dengan janji mereka terhadap Indonesia. Lalu secara seremonial, balon-balon tersebut akan diterbangkan ke udara.

Daftar komunitas yang akan diudang: (Tentatif)
- Kampung Segart (Graffiti)
- Jajan Jazz (Musik)
- Terrantbooks (Buku)
- Parkour Jakarta (Olahraga)
- Books For Hope (Buku)
- Pejaten Shelter (Hewan)
- Lomonesia (Fotografi)
- Bike To School (Olahraga & Lingkungan)
- Klub Si Woli (Kehidupan Laut)
- The Cure For Tomorrow (Youth Empowerment/Aktivisme)
- Historia (Budaya)
- Jelajah Budaya (Budaya & Travelling)
- Rumah Blogger (Social Networking)
- Lamuru (Musik)
- Pena Dan Cerita (Sastra & Jurnalistik)
- Indo Backpacker (Travelling)
- Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (Kesehatan/Aktivisme)
- Gading Muda Basketball (Olahraga)
- Kaskus (Social Networking)
- Taman Suropati Chamber (Musik Klasik)
- 1001 Buku (Buku)
- Klastik (Fotografi)
- Avanza Club (Otomotif)
- Remaja Peduli (Lingkungan)
- WALHI (Lingkungan)

--
Best Regards,
Kezia Gabriella Agusta