Reverie

Woop, hello again guys!
I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG BREAK!
I was so busy with university preparation stuffs and arranging a music ensemble. :s


I have been reading and viewing motivational articles a lot lately. Decisions change our life. All those articles were relentlessly about change your life, do something, speak up, make your move, etc.
The adults (those authors and speakers) hinted that what we do now will determine ourselves in the future. As Steve Jobs mentioned in his commencement speech in Stanford University: "Of course it was difficult to connect the dots looking forwards. But it was very very clear looking backwards ten years later. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." and by dots here he meant the things we have done. Live our life like everyday is our last, and we will do something different that gives impact.

Making decision isn't that simple indeed. Especially for people at our age now where just in the past we had to get permission just to hang out with friends and now we are held against decision which will affect our life and future not for temporary but as a whole. As an anxious young man, I listen a lot. There are people who claims that doing what we love is the best for us whereas there is another group who advices me to do what I'm good at.

Let me elaborate this information. We have the things that we like and good at. For some, they are the same. In contrast, for others they may have very different fondness and specialty. (Okay, for you who claim to have nothing you're good at I can only say sorry to you :( ). Logically, we are more bounded to success given that we do the things we good at rather than the things we love. We have a basic skills and we are ahead of others and competitors. On the other hand, for the things we love, we might only have just right knowledge, skills and opportunity in it. This will hinder our progress. However, others might argue about life will be so miserable, being a slave to a particular banal and repetitive job. Nevertheless, wouldn't it be so bad if we do the same thing over and over again? Even if it is the thing we love, eventually we will lost our interest or even hate it. Ironically, in the end we could be no better than if we did something that we are better at.

There are no good or bad decision, nor best or worst scenario. The wrong thing is not doing anything!

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it."

It is not wrong to be open to critics and advices but we have to remember that it is our life and don't let anybody lives it for us. Just experiment with anything, make mistakes, falls, fails. Why should we afraid of failing? Pain? Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, an hour or a day, or even a year, but eventually, it will subside, and something else will take its place. If we quit and give up however, pain will last forever. It's now about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; it's how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

Picture ourselves 10 years from now on. What will we be? Some might says doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, accountants, scientists, whatever. We have our own dream. What have we done towards all of that? Can we just malinger? I don't think we can still procrastinate.  I have a dream that one day I will rise and be a successful entrepreneur, a great leader and an epitome for everyone. I want the world to be a little bit better because I exist.
If you ask is it wrong to set high expectations? The answer to that is no.
You can dream of being a noble prize baccalaureate, winning a Pulitzer prize, acquiring Grammy awards, anything you want.
Nonetheless we have to face the reality. Aiming high means we have a very little margin for error. We have to be outstanding among the best. It is not a trivial and spontaneous things you can get hands down.

"You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can''t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period." - Will Smith

I heard someone once said "he who said he can and he who said he can't are both usually right." Which one are you? However, again, saying and wanting do not suffice. Dig down ourselves and find out what we really want. It may sound hilarious to people, but no problem. Find a way and achieve it. Airplanes were preposterous back then, but now? A massive heavy steel structure can fly across the oceans.

For me, I believe that the moment we start failing is the moment we stop believing and dreaming. Many great inventions start from a reverie. Just decide everything and boom boom boom the dots are connected and we will be amazed ten years later. (Or perhaps we will regret not doing it?) :D

---Gio

High School Reminiscences

Hellooooooo, welcome again to my blog :D
I'm back to my daily school routine and I lost that 'leisure' which I used for typing.
I'd do my best to update this blog at least every week ;)
Thank you for those loyal readers (esp. those who read since 27th Jan)!
My apology if I can't keep the standard of the posts :(


So, "Back to school!" as how normally people express it in the social media. I know we all, as teenagers, hate school. The obligation to wake up early, followed with sitting and being a good listener for 7 hours++. We all wanted to graduate ASAP. I believe going to university sounds so wonderful in the mean time. Having all the freedom, independence, and the right to organize ourselves.
Nevertheless, we don't spend 7-8 hours of our life for the first 17 years for nothing at school.
I believe every single one of us have had that unforgettable experiences and moments!

My days are boring routine where I arrive early at school to complete some assignments, to get some extra sleep or to have some early breakfast. School has been really monotonous, I don't really learn much except for maths and chemistry. The rest of the classes are spent either being indolence or being the jester of the class.

My classroom is rather huge, occupied by 57 students. Being an odd number, there has to be someone who sits alone. Somehow that (I don't know it's lucky or not) student is me. Sitting by myself can be so fruitful at times. I have a more spacious room and privacy. When I'm not feeling jaunty, I usually can lay like a boneless human or maybe liquid on the desk and sleep without anybody pestering or prying. On the other hand, sometimes sitting alone can be lonely. Everybody is chatting and laughing with each other while I can only watch and be clueless about what they're talking about. When I need to cheat, there's no one to teach me solving exam questions nor anyone to teach to. However sitting alone makes me think a lot. I've been observing people, their interaction, their face expressions, every single one. There are many types of people I came across.

There are some groups of nerds sitting around the frontal area of the class. They don't talk much, and I believe if they do; they'll be about lessons or games or something eccentric to them. Sometimes when I mingle with them, I feel the educational vibes. They talk science-ly, jokes with some scientific phrasal included. Play video games ceaselessly. These groups have forte in board games too. They played chess or tic-tac-toe games a lot. They're not that unsociable, however their circles rarely intersects with mine. I know little of their friend despite having many acquaintances. In dealing with these people, don't get shy. Usually we have to start interact first, we don't have to be afraid of being ignored. I think they are keen of talking, just not having the confidence or feeling comfortable enough to start one.

The next group I am elaborating is a majority of girls. Some are hardcore fangirls, happy-go-lucky - ers, only-talk-to-desk-mate - ers, and those that exists. Fangirls in my class are the worst of a kind one I guess. It's as if their idols infect their mind with some kind of nano virus! (seriously). Just by following them on twitter can keep you updated about the idols' activity and news in a nick of time. Apparently that fangirl-ing is somehow contagious and undiscriminating. Pathetically, some of my bros have gotten into them and starting acting weird lol. In my opinion, we have to be open minded in dealing with them. They're passionate people. They can be very inspiring at times and make the class more vivacious. (ps. never insult their idols)
The happy-go-lucky - ers!!
These are the type that are laid back and really carefree about anything. They chat all the time, they are the most solid of all group. Even when the pedagogue is mad, they still don't care and proceed chatting. I think they have no fear like Rambo. They never rushed, even though they are late for class, they just waltz everywhere.
The ones that only interact with their desk-mate
It is very rare to hear their voice, not to mention having conversations with them. They talk only either with their desk-mate or when the teacher asked questions to them. They are really introvert, I cannot dig anything out from them. I think they are really good secret keeper lol.
The other is those that only exist.
I'm not sure what they do at class. They are like robots, don't really talk, study all the time, always complete homework, etc. I don't know yet how to deal with them. At least I know they exist..

Take out the geeks, omit the girls, subtract the introverts; what left are the people in my inner circle. They are of amazing diversity. All boys: rascals, math and computer geniuses, slackers, musclemen, harlequins, and even a very helpful one. Without them my high school days will be black and white. These are the people willing to skip classes with me for a lunch frenzy, a football game, etc.
Ironically, we are the most mischievous ones in class. For us, assignments are to be completed the day prior to deadline. In tedious moments, we can make everything into ebullience. In spite of looking unserious in our chores, we scored well in tests. When everybody pays attention to the teacher elaborating, they play at the back. Sometimes they even sleep! For the brainy ones, it's a pleasure to have them nearby. When I encountered some difficult questions, there aren't single question that can't be solved together. Calculus, binomial expansions, vectors, geometry, statistics, name it.
One of the biggest mistake in your life you can commit is not having these kind of friends in your life. High school doesn't happen twice!

Oh, I nearly forgot! There are also the ones that are absent at least once in a week. School doesn't seem so prominent to them. On some occasions, they just purposely go home with excuses. I understand they have better things to do at home rather than pointlessly spending time sitting and watching the teacher do nothing. Someone said to me "Going to school is useless, but not going to school is more useless!".

As I type this I didn't realize that what used to be a white blank page two hours ago is now filled with alphabets. Sitting alone really makes me think a lot. Today I have 56 friends sitting in the same class with me. At one point, we will have to segregate and walk our own path. I just don't want friends to be strangers. Thank you for carving memories into my hippocampus!


This is what my best friend and I  came up with 3 years ago:

"We started with nothing but friendship makes it everything"

It's deep, I know. ;)
Now he's studying in Singapore. We meet occasionally and still have that awesome moments hanging out!
I guess that's all for this post.
Sorry for being a little bit idle in blogging :s
Still you guys are awesome people :p

(I don't know how to position myself in the categories above but it will be really interesting to know hahaha..
Maybe I'm just a weirdo)
---Gio

Falcon

Sup' world?
My apology for the hiatus! :D *grind*

One of the few I really look up to is my dad. Here is a little facts about him. He originated from a rural area of North Sumatra. Born in 1967, he struggled all the way, starting his empire from zero and rose to be one of the most outstanding person in the town. In spite of all the success, his life was not always a happy life. He lost his parents when he was in primary school, leaving nothing but a hut (yes, it is very cramped and has only one room). He had to provide for himself since a very young age. Everything he thought me is invaluable life lesson that I can learn nowhere else and nobody else is that sincere in educating me. Things from philosophy, chivalry, attitude, knowledge, morality etc. are thought relentlessly. I know every dad does that to their children however I really feel like sharing this one particular lesson towards all of you.

No father wants to see their children fail in their life. Yet, success is an intricate prize in our life that requires determination, courage, perspiration, motivation and ceaseless efforts as well as, ironically, failures. My father expects me to be a good leader in the future, for his company and family. He explained that there are two kind of people that I will meet in life. Which are ayam dan elang (chicken and falcon).

The community of chicken, he explained, consists of the mediocre and/or the follower. Primarily, they do things according to instructions or gestures of those superior to them. They don't have motivation, innovation and creativity in anything. These are types that are even worse than late bloomers. Without the proprietor or higher ranked authority, they will be chaotic and clueless of what to do especially in the dire times. I guess that's why he addressed this group as chicken.

On the other hand, there is the falcon. It is obvious that what left are those keen, bright, genius, active, robust, stern, innovative, and bla bla bla people. (I ran out of adjectives). Like falcons, they soar up high in the sky. No one limit their movements and they can forage wherever, however, whatever they want. They are capable to lead and/or stand alone. When they speak, they can convince people and win their heart effortlessly. When they strike, they are intangible, unstoppable. They are, in the pareto principle, the 20 that do the 80 percents work.

He told me to identify and mingle with the falcons but not to desert the chicken on the other hand. Personally, of course, I desire to be the falcon and make him proud, anyhow I know not everybody got what it takes to be the falcon. Then at least be a rooster that leads those chickens to a better path :D

---Gio