My life is a simple book...It is as simple as a rough sketch that you draw in your notes while a boring teacher stands up in front of the class and say blablabla but none of those things he says stuck in your brain …
I don’t have a complicated ambition or a sophisticated moment that gives me an inspiration to spin my world and brings me to U.S.. No bizarre political issue, no melodramatic-heroic explanation nor an overwhelmed experience behind it.
It took only a pirate DVD that I bought in the corner of a dry and dusty road in the southern part of Jakarta in a warm weather of May 2007 to inspire me to come to U.S. and take this good opportunity as what I am doing now. As simple as that…
The movie in that pirate DVD was titled Far and Away, a Ron Howard movie about a young Irish guy, Joseph Donelly (played by Tom Cruise) who escapes from his country, Ireland, with his landlord's daughter, Shannon Christie (played by Nicole Kidman) who he loves most. They want to come to America to build a brand new life. In the land of the dream, as they named America, they struggle to survive and win the day. It’s a nice love story and anyhow it stayed in my mind and my heart on how they fight for their dream; to have their freedom and love.
That time, I was thinking I want to be just like Joseph. I want to be someone who really fights for his dream no matter how hard it is. Even though I and Joseph have a different way in interpreting our dreams (but a little bit the same in interpreting love) and the fact that we live in a different era and culture, one thing for sure, in the end I want to survive my challenge and win the day like him.
Like Joseph, with all his hope of a brand new land in America, I had a dream to reach by coming to this country. I have done my first effort by landing safely here. I have won the first battle. And now, I want reach my dream, to have a piece of land. I want to have a piece of land but not the land in the America’s ground like Joseph’s dream, but here, in my brain. I want to have a piece of land inside my head that I can cultivate it with so many useful things.
Here, in America, I will have a chance to find many seeds that I can cultivate in my land. I already identified some of those seeds; a practical knowledge in my journalism background, friendship with people from other culture, and the most important thing is a lesson of life. Hopefully I will be able to plant them well and handle them with care so it will bring a finest result in the end.
Later on, after a year of my stay in America, I will harvest them carefully. I believe it will be more than enough if I keep all the yields from my land only for myself. Hence I will make a party and invite all people; especially those who I am sure will be able to respect the value of knowledge, friendship and the philosophy of life. We will have a party of brainstorming. I do hope they will enjoy those souvenirs from America.
An important note for me and I should bear it in mind is that not to forget carrying home some seeds to people, not only the yields. I will share with them those seeds and hopefully they will plant them in their piece of land inside their head.
I believe they will be amazed receiving seeds that I bring from America as it doesn’t feel like really far and away to have them.
New York, wed. morning 00.56
