30-day Challenge | Day 1

So, let’s start the challenge.

Day 1: Write some basic things about yourself.

Seberapa panjang nih? Mhuahahahaha…

Sebenernya saya udah pernah lho posting tentang 20FactsAboutMe. So maybe it will be just a repetition.

I was born on 14 February. 

Dan betul-betul tipikal Aquarius. Moody, observer, sarkastik, and a professional in procrastinating.

Sejak kecil suka membaca.

Genre favorit saya: fantasi. You know, books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson. Lord of the Rings, books like that. Mungkin karena deep down inside, saya pengen punya kemampuan seperti yang ada dalam buku-buku itu. I want to live in Narnia, go to Hogwarts for school, and spend my summer in Camp Half Blood. Favorite writer: Rick Riordan, Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Stroud. More about this hobby of mine, please check my answers on 30-day book meme. For me, reading is my escape. Trus, gak tau kenapa, saya kok gak suka buku yang genrenya romance yaaa --_--.

I can’t imagine my life without music.

Saya kalo ngapa-ngapain mesti banget sambil dengerin musik. Basically, saya suka yang easy listening. Tapi saya tipe yang sering kali suka suatu lagu tertentu yang liriknya ngena buat saya. My playlist can be so random, sometimes. Bisa aja habis A Friend to Rely On-nya Tommy Page, saya jadi dengerin What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction, terus ke Se A Vida E-nya Pet Shop Boys, lalu Careless Whisper – George Michael, lalu ke The One that Got Away - Katy Perry.

Makanya, kalo di ruangan, meja saya paling gampang dikenali dari suara musik.

Kecanduan kopi.

Sejak kelas 1 SMA deh kayaknya. It’s a legal addiction anyway. Tapi biar sekecanduan apapun, saya dengan gampangnya tidur dimanapun saya pengen tidur. Di angkot. DI ruang tunggu. Di kelas *waktu sekolah dan kuliah dulu. Serius*. Bahkan waktu rapat Fakultas.

A Football Fan

For me, it’s more than just a game, more than just a sport where a bunch of men running around chasing a round thing just to kick it once they got their feet on it. The passion, the mixed emotions and feelings, the togetherness. Saya ngikutinnya cuma EPL sama La Liga sih. A proud Citizen, a loyal Madridista, and True Blues. Dan jujur saja, by being a supporter of  Manchester City, I actually have sacrificed myself to have those heart-attacks throughout the seasons. Sometimes those boys in blue are so good that I cry in tears of pride and joy, but there are times when they are just impossible, when they shattered my heart into million of pieces. And yes, I still stupidly love the team. Damn you, City. Sometimes I wish I did not love you THIS much.

To be honest, sometimes I think being a football fan has ruined my life. Why can’t I choose a hobby that does not involve so much emotions? Why can’t I  just be a garden enthusiast???

David Silva

HE. Is. My. Life-Ruiner.

His smile. His silky skills on the pitch. Him being genuinely happy whenever his team scores. Him being such a sweet heart.

Asdfghjjklll… I can’t. I just can’t, okay?

Addicted to Talent Shows.

Indonesian Idols. The X-Factor. Amazing Race. The Apprentice. MasterChef. America’s Next Top Model. Whatever. I can’t help it, but I really…really love this kind of shows.

Suka banget warna biru.

I don’t know why, tapi kalo disuruh milih warna gitu, biasanya pilihan pertama saya ya pasti warna biru. Soothing. Relaxing. Just like me.  Tapi bener deh, warna biru itu menenangkan. The color of the sky, the color of the sea.

I occasionally write

Sadly, not academic writings. Being a daydreamer, saya suka membayangkan berbagai skenario. Dan mungkin karena suka membaca udah dari dulu dulu duluuuu banget, saya suka tidak puas kalo membaca sesuatu yang menurut saya gak pas. Jadi, suatu waktu, saya coba menulis fanfic. Fanfic saya awalnya adalah fanfic dari IdolaCilik. Yeah, I know, it sounds as absurd as it might sound. Tapi tetap saja, saya menemukan kepuasan saat berhasil menyelesaikan suatu tulisan. You can find those IC fanfictions here. Lately, saya iseng mencoba menulis fanfics on football players. Oh well, sekalian melatih bahasa Inggris sih, supaya gak acak adut mulu grammarnya :D. You can find the links to my football fanfics here.

A Drama Queen

So, I always have this tendency to over-exaggerate everything. Kebanyakan emosi kali ya saya ini. Mehehhehehe… Normal regular things bisa jadi berbunga-bunga berpohon-pohon kalo saya yang ngalamin. *shrugging shoulders*. Dan biasanya, kecirinya dari cara saya menceritakan sesuatu. Mungkin karena saya suka merhatiin detail-detail gitu ali yaaaa *entah apa hubungan details with being a drama-queen*

To be honest, I don’t know if those thing I have written above already enough for “some” basic things about me.

But yeah, kurang lebih, all those things are things that instantly crossed my mind kalau saya disuruh menggambarkan diri saya.

And so, that’s the Day 1 on this blog challenge =)

My Birthday This Year

For a lot of people, 14 February means one thing: Valentine’s Day. But for me, it means something else: MY BIRTHDAY!

Saya selalu bangga punya tanggal lahir seromantis ini :P.

Trus, di tahun ini, kok ya bisa-bisanya lho 14 Februari itu bertepatan dengaaaannn… Leg pertama babak knock-off antara Real Madrid vs Manchester United. Jadi ya semenjak berhari-hari sebelumnya, saya udah berharap semoga salah satu kado ulang tahun saya adalah kemenangan Real Madrid. Yeah, emang akhirnya seri sih, tapi at least gol dari Cristiano Ronaldo bisa kali ya saya anggap sebagai kado ultah saya.

Anyway, ucapan pertama datangnya dari Sura dan Ratih, lewat WhatsApp. Kekna mereka berdua bela-belain begadang buat nungguin pas jam 12 malem. Dan tentu saja, waktu mereka ngucapin selamat, saya udah tidur dengan pulesnya. Mehehehehe….

Begitu membuka mata pertama kali di dini hari 14 Februari, pikiran pertama saya: Alhamdulillah. Another year.

Yang langsung disusul pikiran kedua: Ya Alloh, mbok Real Madrid menang dong nanti…

Dan saya langsung lompat untuk nyalain tipi demi pertandingan itu.

Sambil nonton, online di Twitter dan Tumblr. Eh, ternyata udah ada yang ngucapin selamaaat :”). So nice, actually, to have messages on Tumblr. Baru sekali ini saya dapet ucapan Happy Birthday from people living in Georgia, Russia, Spain. Mehehehehe…. Thank you ya wahai teman-teman sesama Citizen dan Silvista from all around the globe.

Dalam keadaan terkantuk-kantuk, tetep aja mesti berangkat ke kampus, secara saya ngajar jam 8. Thankfully, it was a nice class. The students were enthusiast, and came up with interesting questions about the subject. Selesai ngajar di lab, balik ke kampus, secara saya punya janji untuk ngasih kelas tambahan buat mahasiswa yang mau EPT. Things went as normal as usual.  Selesai kelas tambahan, saya balik ke ruangan. Kebetulan salah satu mahasiswa mau daftar skripsi. Sebenernya saya udah heran lho, itu kenapa banyak angkatan 2009 yang segabruk-gabruk nungguin Irfan daftar skripsi di meja saya. Tapi say asih mikirnya mereka pada mau ngurus jadwal seminar dan sidang ke saya.

Tapi ternyata…

Tiba-tiba saja mereka masuk ke kubikel saya, bawa satu kotak yang isinya dua buah cake coklat berbentuk lope-lope *astaga, nuansa Valentine banget sih*, sekaleng Nescafe, sambil tepuk tangan dan nyanyi Selamat Ulang Tahun.

Saya kaget, dan langsung nangis.

Astaga… Asdfghjkl… How sweet and nice of them. Gak nyangka aja, secara saya kan dosen paling moody dan cerewet se MIPA, dan ternyata mereka masih bela-belain creating this sweet surprise for my birthday.

Yeah, I know I’ve never told them, but really, I love them.

My students are one of the reason for me to keep hanging on. And this kind of thing that makes me really feel that maybe I am not so bad in doing the job.

Even when I got home, I still keep on receiving messages, mentions on Twitter, wallposts on Facebook, all wishing me a happy birthday.

I am so blessed in this life.

Every year, on my birthday, I always, always feel so grateful for the blessings of having families and friends, best ones!

Setiap tahun, pada ulangtahun saya, saya selalu merasakan kembali betapa Tuhan begitu menyayangi saya.

I cannot think of which one is the best birthday ever for me. As for me, each and every birthday is always awesome and a great one. And it’s because I am so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by love from the people all around me.