#DearJakarta: Nge-blog Bareng Agnes Monica

Tiba-tiba pikiran daku melayang pada saat lima tahun yang lalu. Di Jogja. Belum seganteng setua sekarang dan status masih jomblo – dimana status yang ini belum berubah *sigh*. Waktu itu daku masih stress kuliah triple plus kebosanan memuncak ngelakuin aktivitas yang gitu-gitu aja. Mulai dari mandi, sisiran, ke kampus, sisiran lagi, pulang, kuliah lagi, sisiran, lalu… *dilempar baliho*

Jadi intinya, akhirnya daku sering banget tuh curhat gak jelas di blog Friendster. Nulis tentang tadi pagi sarapan apaan sampe tingkah laku ajaib temen-temen kos dulu. Sumpah, dulu berasa hits banget kalau ada yang baca lalu komen. Kayak jadi gaul banget gitu, setara sama Raditya Dika *halah*. Karena yang ninggal komen semakin banyak dan daku merasa semakin hits *walau itu hanya fatamorgana*, daku pengen banget punya blog pribadi gitu. Tapi apa daya, daku pan gak paham sama sekali dunia per-blogging-an.

Lalu sepertinya Tuhan mendengar doa kaum teraniaya yang tampan tapi menyebalkan. Daku diketemukan dengan Tikabanget – blogger legendaris dari kaki Gunung Merapi – yang mau ngajarin daku dari nol. Bahkan minus. Berawal dari perjodohan yang gagal, akhirnya daku diberikan tutorial gratis bikin blog, cara ngeblog yang asik, sampe gimana caranya ngobrol di YM tengah malam padahal duduk sebelahan *tatapan kejam*. Daku sering banget ngehabisin malam bareng Tika sekedar buat belajar banyak hal tentang dunia blogging. The best part of being blogger is… Selain Tika, banyak banget blogger lain yang dengan suka cita ngajarin gratisan dalam banyak hal. Mulai dari sekedar ganti layout, sampai bagaimana caranya makan beling *yang ini gak sih*.

Tikabanget dan daku berfoto di Pesta Blogger 2008! 😀

Intinya, daku itu pengen sharing di Hari Blogger Nasional ini kalau sebagai blogger ini membuka sejuta peluang untuk daku. Kerjaan pertama daku di Jakarta juga terbuka karena daku sebagai blogger, bukan hanya karena ijazah kampus daku. Mulai dari sana, banyak kesempatan terbuka. Gak kebayang kalau daku dulu gak ngeblog, mungkin kesempatan untuk bisa jadi panitia Pesta Blogger sampai kerja di Bangkok dalam dunia digital & social media juga gak bakal kesampaian. Kerja di luar negeri ini pun buka banyak kesempatan untuk tawaran kerja di berbagai belahan dunia! Pernah ngimpi bakal begitu gak sih, Dim? Jawabannya, gak pernah. Tetapi apa yang dari daku pelajari selama ini, jadi blogger gak pernah bikin rugi. Bisa ketemu ratusan orang yang menginspirasi – berawal dari tulisan lalu kopdar – lalu membuka peluang untuk menemui dunia baru dari pengalaman-pengalaman orang lain.

Dari blogging, daku bisa belajar mencari passion. Keliatan banget tuh di tulisan daku yang awal-awal pengen jadi artis, kesininya makin gak mungkin jadi  artis, jiahaha! Jujur, daku kangen banget kopdar dan saling berkenalan dengan link blog, lalu ngobrol seakan-akan sudah kenal lama hanya karena sama-sama sering baca dan komen di blognya. Yes, bahkan dari blog daku bisa menemukan beberapa sahabat baik sampai sekarang yang jadi tempat curhat atau ngobrol banyak hal.

Daku paham sih, kadang banyak orang yang takut, “kalau ternyata aslinya orangnya serem atau pembunuh bayaran gimana, ya?”. Well, selama ini sih daku pribadi belum pernah ketemu blogger yang aslinya aneh-aneh. Kalau blogger yang beda karakter dengan tulisannya sih ada bebeberapa. Maka dari itu, penting banget datang ke acara kopdar yang rame-ramean gitu. Misalnya kopdar sholat Idul Adha gitu *dikeplak*.  Banyak kok acara kopdar yang terbuka untuk siapa aja dan kita bisa kenalan dengan blogger-blogger lainnya. Coba deh buka link Kopdar Jakarta, tempat ngumpulnya blogger-blogger hasek bin heits *iklan*.

Moderator Kopdar Jakarta ~ sahabat online & offline

Walau kesininya dunia blogging mulai tak begitu seksi karena banyaknya munculnya channel micro blogging seperti Twitter, tapi ngeblog gak bakal pernah basi. Daku sadar, dengan blog ini kita bisa melihat proses pendewasaan & perjalanan hidup kita dari tulisan. Daku sendiri udah ngerasa jadi blogger murtad karena udah jarang banget nulis selain nulis email kantor, hihi. Pengen bisa kayak dulu, apapun yang ada dipikiran daku, apa yang daku rasain, bisa saat itu juga tertuang di blog. Tapi daku yakin, suatu saat nanti, keinginan itu pasti bakal terealisasi *pasang iket kepala sambil joget bareng Bu Ani SBY*. Semoga aja abis ini bakal ada posting-postingan lainnya yang bisa daku bagi, ya… Kalau kamu, kangen apa dari dunia per-blogging-an ini? 🙂

Betewe, apa hubungannya sama Agnes Monica? Gak ada, sih… Cuma iseng aja bikin judul itu *ditendang ke Atambua* (*)

#DearBangkok: An epilog.

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.

I never imagine before in my life that someday I will work outside my lovely country, Indonesia. I’ve lived there for 30 years, in several provinces to be exact, from Aceh in the northern of Sumatra to a small beautiful island off the northeastern coast of Borneo. I still remember the scent of the ocean wind, the sound of Azan, and every detail about all the cities that I’ve lived in. Still, I feel like I will forever stay in Indonesia.

I was working for one of the most desired companies in town, with a great boss and nice colleagues. There was nothing to complain about. Out of the blue, I saw this vacancy, on Twitter timeline, for Social Media Manager in Bangkok, Thailand, at a global agency and serving for a big automotive company. Honestly, I always wanted to work in social media for a while back then. Then I got the offer and was interviewed in Jakarta but I didn’t feel it was the right decision. Because for this one, I know, it was going to be a big challenge and decision.

There is no such thing as second chance for me. I decided to try and yes, I was accepted and was required to move to Bangkok in a month! Actually, it was not a nice surprise for my colleagues, family, and friends. But that was the time for me to leave my comfort zone and try something new in my life. Everything was foreign. The place, the sounds, the language, the food, the friends, almost everything about it was… unfamiliar.

So, how did Bangkok treat me? I would say that this was an amazing journey! I will never regret to something that made me smile. I met with great bosses and colleagues at my new office, because it was nice to work with them who knows the secret to being good boss & colleagues… being a good person. We shared laughter, happiness, sadness… everything.

I never imagined before that I could get along with them. I have never lived abroad for years, unlike most of my colleagues. But you know, it was like love at first sight. As time went on, we got closer and shared every hour together, from waking up to falling asleep. We are a family. It has been a pleasure working with them in the past year.

Friendship is not about whom you have known the longest… It is about whom came, and never left your side…

It was not easy to make the decision to quit from this fun and cool job, leaving my ‘other family’ in Bangkok, chance to live in a dream city like Bangkok. Many of my friends said that I was crazy when I told them I would go back to Jakarta. But this was my choice, even when I had to reject an offer to work in other country. Because I believe, nothing can beat my experience here. I learnt a lot and I met new people that I could just be myself and kept my feet on the ground. It was a life changing experience. I feel I am ready to face another challenge back home.

So here I am, I have packed all my things and ready to go. I believe, some people come into our lives and leave footprints in our hearts and we will never ever be the same. I know, I will never be the same again because I left some of my memories here… on the streets, at the stations, in the raindrops, and every step that I took in this city. Bangkok, you never fail me. Thank you for the journey, the good, and even the bad.

 To get through the hardest journey, we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.

***

I would like to say thank you to every one who took care of me while in Bangkok and left footprints in my heart.

Thank you Mas Mulyadi (& Mbak Vei) and Medy, my Indonesian family at the office. Thank you for everything. I know we will always keep in touch. For sure I’m going to miss you all. A lot!

My lovely ‘keluarga di perantauan’, Hexa and Nisa, Vian and Mita, Meirza, Dodot and Dini, I am so blessed to have known and met you all. Thank you for helping me to get through my tough times. Thank you again for sharing the laugh and sadness. Until we meet again in Jakarta.

To Crystal, Lana, Charlie, and Quyen: Thank you for making my life colorful in Bangkok! I know my life (and my lunch and dinner times) will never be the same without you all! I will miss the laugh, the stories, the foods, the malls, the smiles, and everything about you all! Huge love!

To Reha, Leigh, Nida, Om, PJ, Shaun, Nuay, Sailee, Jane, Smarty, Jo, Charles, Greg, & Jericho: Thank you for all the fun, making work like a playground, and sharing everything that always makes me smile.

Thank you again and see you soon! (*)