Annual

Whilst November is a writing festival month in University of Sheffield, I also have one regular day as an annual writing moment: yes on my birthday. It just forces me to have a long post at least once in a year. However I didn’t have that kind of post last year which I really don’t know why. Well, probably because last year I was having a birthday in a pandemic or maybe just because I was quite busy preparing for my departure to my new home. Yes, I am here now in the UK (again), in Sheffield, my new home for almost a year. Living in a totally different world than my last couple years.

Long story short, I am currently working on my research to pursue a PhD. Hell yeah, am I crazy enough to consciously choose this path of life? Yes, I might said. I would never imagine that I am gonna be here to study again. Maybe some people said that I am so in love with study, education, or research. The answer is no. Sorry, I was not really that kind of academic person who loves science or whatever it is. I was an ordinary girl in class who never thought that she would have this kind of academic journey. It is true that she was a high achiever back then, but still she was not the top-notch student. She was probably not the one who be recognised by the lecturer. I know she was not that bad in grade, but still she spent a lot of time doing social activities, voluntary works, and many kind of sports. So probably she was not the only one who be surprised by the decision, a lot of her friends also were amazed seeing her current unpredictable journey.

Another unpredictable decision is the UK itself. As many of you probably know that I studied my master in Warwick. Based on those experience, I decided to find another country to live if I get a chance to pursue another degree. Not that I didn’t like UK, I really loved it to be honest, but still I was craving for something new, well especially in Schengen area. Yes, I was longing to travel easily to other countries over the weekend, by bus or train. Hence, I did a lot of search for any PhD vacancy in Europe. I was really digging and die trying to get one, but viola I got this offer in DoSSIER project. Wait what? It is based in the UK, the country that definitely is not on my dream list to pursue a PhD. However, this project offered me a lot of things I could not resist. Well, they provided the employment based PhD in human-computer interaction (which I am in love with!) along with three secondment in several European countries. I really did buy all of those things. Then the story began, I decided to take a leap and go to UK.

Well here I am now, blessed and happy enjoying my sweet birthday with my loved ones. One important lesson from my last year’s journey is that you are free to wish, to dream, to imagine anything that you want, but remember that Allah knows what you need better than anyone.

And Allah is The Best Planner, so do believe that the best things would come at the right time. All you need is to do your best effort, then you’ll get the reward after all.

For many years to come, many journeys to embrace, InshaAllah. Just never stop believing.

Sheffield, 19 November 2021
~G

Closure

Notting Hill, London, Juni 2021

Pagi ini aku terbangun. Masih teringat jelas di ingatan, ada seseorang hadir mengetuk pintu di mimpi semalam.

Tak pernah kuduga. Mengapa ia mampir di bunga tidurku, tanpa undangan tanpa pemberitahuan tanpa peringatan.

Perlahan ku menarik napas pagiku yang sengau. Panjang, sepanjang kisah berliku dalam cerita tadi malam.

Ah mungkin saja aku hanya lupa berdoa sebelum mulai mendengkur. Tapi tetap saja, bayangannya sungguh terlalu nyata untuk diabaikan.

Di titik ini pula aku lama termanggu. Mungkin ini sebuah pertanda, jika aku perlu segera menutup semua lembaran yang berserakan.

Iya, pintu-pintu kenangan yang tertutup itu. Ternyata masih ternganga, dalam celah syahdu yang tak kasat mata.

Bahkan ambillah kunci jika perlu. Agar pintu itu tetap tertutup, tanpa takut suatu saat kembali terbuka.

Karena kenangan sejatinya memang cukup hadir di situ. Tanpa perlu muncul, mengusik kenyataan yang fana.

Dari aku yang tak pernah membenci hujan

Suatu Senja, Manchester, Juli 2021

Bukan karena pelangi indah yang mengagumkan
Tapi karena hujan untukku selalu menenangkan

Sungguh tak ada suara senyaman rintik hujan
Serta dingin yang syahdu dalam rinai yang menghanyutkan

Ah mungkin itu yang membuatku selalu kembali kepadamu
Awan kelabu dengan hujan yang selalu dan rasa yang membiru

Selamat malam rindu

Stay

I’ve spent almost five years living in Jakarta. Indonesian dream city which I never fancy to live when I build a family or raise the kids or enjoy my retirement.

Anyway, there’s nothing (extremely) wrong about Jakarta since it (even its traffic) didn’t kill me, yet made me stronger. For me, Jakarta is the place where actually you can get everything you need (as long as you fight for it, of course). Money is everywhere, career is on your hands, and probably your inner circle and significant others are within your reach.

Though Bandung is always on the top of my liveable city list, I never thought that I would back to Bandung before my thirty. I didn’t realize how blessed I am until this week. I was opening my window and out of sudden noticing that I would have “I woke up to” this kind of scene (Insha Allah) for my entire life.

To be honest, it’s never been easy for me to “stay” until this morning. The time when I decided to (re)start writing what have been trapped in my mind (and heart) for the last 3 months as the whole new chapter of my life.

Yes, now I am pretty much ready to say that I am settled. As I always mention in my bio, I would never stop falling in love with (in) this city. 💗

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Q.S. 2:153)

Bandung,
19 January 2018

Inay

NINE

From upper left to lower right:

Earlsdon – Monte Carlo – Bandung
Cambridge – Budapest – Coventry
Jakarta – Bristol – Warwick

Despite of the fact that a number of things in life can make us uncomfortable or even a little miffed, sometimes they are gifts in disguise.

Alhamdulillah for always giving me what I needed instead of what I wanted. 😊

Let’s be grateful for everything that happens whilst embracing another journey ahead!

“… But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.” (Quran 8:30)

“To keep your balance, you must keep moving”

Hi, this was my farewell email on September 9, 2016. I believe this is worth to be kept as memory treasure. *grin*

 


 

Dear Friend,

As many of you probably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type “Today is my last day”. I knew all along that this day would come, still, writing out this mail makes a butterfly in my stomach. The company and especially the team had become kind of a second family to me and the thought of leaving it makes me emotional.

Right since the day I put in my resignation, I tried to take out some time every day to reflect on how my time here at Indika Energy has affected me, my life, my personality. I’ve come to the conclusion that my time here has enriched me as a person and a professional and I consider myself lucky to have taken up the first “nine to five” job of my life at Indika Energy and more so to have been assigned to the team.

Sweet memories have always been mostly during the following phases, and you are a part of the mail because I have had at least one of the below memories with you guys.

1. Lunch time and laughter sessions!

2. All day long meetings

3. Choreographing and dancing in flash mobs

4. Uncountable wefie sessions

5. Toilet secret chats

6. Any random, yet silly moment

But (cliché alert) there comes a time when one has to realign priorities and move ahead. It has been a tough deal, but a conscious one. I am quite excited to step in a challenging phase in my life, however need not to say, what I am leaving behind is also precious.

I wish you all the very best for life. I’ll really miss each one of you hence I am gonna be around. 🙂

Signing Off,

Ginar Santika Niwanputri

[email protected]

“To keep your balance, you must keep moving”

 

Dua Linang

Sad_Love_Quotes_believe-cry-quotes-sad

Siang ini air mata saya jatuh untuk hal sepele yang tidak berdasar. Lalu malam ini saya tak kuasa menahan tetes air mata saat mendengar kisah pegiat daerah dalam memperjuangkan literasi untuk semua kalangan usia.

Sungguh dua linang yang berbeda. Saya rindu linang hadir dengan cara yang memperkaya rasa. Saatnya perlahan belajar meninggalkan linang yang tak perlu pun tak tentu.

Mari simpan air mata dalam ruang berharga yang tak kasat mata.
Karena ia hanya pantas keluar untuk sesuatu yang menyehatkan jiwa.

 

Jakarta, 11 Mei 2016

Inay

 

 

Antara Kasur dan Kubur

 

Hampir tiap pagi dua roda berputar teratur membawa saya menjemput segenggam berlian keberkahan. Pagi ini abang ojek saya arahkan melewati Casablanca. Saya terbiasa memberi gambaran kasar jalan yang akan dilalui, kemudian saya biarkan sang pengemudi menerjemahkannya ke dalam belokan kiri dan kanan sesuai seleranya.

 

Saya memberi ruang yang sama untuk saya dan dia dalam menentukan jalan yang akan kami lalui. Mungkin sebagian orang tidak pernah memikirkan hal ini, memilih jalan saja harus sama porsinya. Ada ketenangan yang saya dapatkan dengan cara ini, ketika kedua pihak memiliki andil yang setara untuk mencapai satu tujuan yang sama. Ya, Anda boleh heran atau geleng-geleng kepala, tolong diterima dengan lapang dada ya kelakukan ajaib saya ini.

 

Dalam jalur Casablanca, banyak pilihan jalan yang dapat kami lalui. Kali ini jalan pintas yang dipilih, sebuah jalan yang membuat hati saya selalu berkecambuk ketika melaluinya. Ada ragu dan gelisah dalam setiap putaran rodanya. Saya menghela napas panjang, jalan ini sebenarnya tak pantas untuk dilewati kendaraan bermotor, namun setiap pagi dan malam ternyata tak pernah ada hentinya. Tempat Pemakaman Umum.

 

Pikiran saya berlompatan dari satu batu nisan ke batu yang lain. Suatu hari nanti ada nama Ginar Santika Niwanputri tertulis di sebuah batu atau mungkin kayu. Tubuh ini akan terbaring tak berdaya di bawahnya, mengubah jati dirinya menjadi sebuah jasad. Dan kemanakah perginya jiwa yang melekat sebelumnya? Menunggu penghitungan nilai atas apa yang telah dilakukan oleh setiap sel di dalam tubuhnya.

 

Saat batu nisan itu dipasang, sebagai apakah saya akan dikenang?

 

Ah sesungguhnya itu hanyalah sebuah hijrah yang sederhana. Kita lahir di atas kasur, kemudian kita mati di tanah kubur. Perpindahan tempat istirahat dari sementara menuju tak lekang masa. Perubahan dari dunia fana ke alam baka.

 

Bagaimana sebenarnya tugas di dunia tak perlu berlama-lama. Hanya sekejap saja seperti waktu yang tersisa antara kumandang adzan (di telinga) dan didirikannya shalat (untuk jasad kita).

 

Antara Adzan dan Shalat

 

Sungguh sebenarnya hidup itu sangat sederhana, cukup memberi makna dalam setiap jeda.

Sebuah refleksi dalam usia yang digenapkan
Sebentuk curahan syukur untuk jantung yang didetakkan
Secarik catatan atas semua pelajaran hidup yang dianugerahkan

 

Jakarta, (19+1) November 2015
~Inay

Macan TBB

image

Suatu pagi di sela-sela pepohonan.

Ditemani suara gemericik pertemuan ban motor dan genangan.

Bersama semerbak harum karet dan udara pagi yang bergantian.

Loncatan pikiran beserta ketakutan akan masa depan mengiringi setiap perjalanan.

Bertahun-tahun ke depan akankah tetap bertahan perjuangan demi perjuangan?

Hampir genap lima tahun, tongkat kehormatan telah di-estafet-kan.

Setelah ribuan derai tangis dan jutaan gelak tawa, hari ini pun hadir sebagai sebuah jawaban dari kegelisahan.

Bentuk nyata dari bayangan semu cita-cita mulia bersama perlahan bermunculan.

Untuk semua keluarga besar Macan TBB.

Kita memang tak punya laut ataupun gunung, tapi bersyukurlah bahwa kita menemukan keluarga baru yang jauh lebih indah daripada pemandangan.

Semoga auman kita semakin bermanfaat bagi dunia dan tak hanya menjadi kenangan. 💘💘💘

#5TahunMacanTBB
#baper
#nangisdipojokan