The Year of Wandering, The Year of Wondering

It’s December 30th so it’s 2 days to new year.

Maybe if you guys notice, I have a tendency to always call every year a roller-coaster ride. What a boring phrase.

But now that I’ve at least outlived 2014, I guess the year has somehow taught me what a roller-coaster ride really means.

Firstly, it taught me about how it feels to be alone. Like, you realize friends eventually part ways. People change. Their values change. Somehow you can no longer see who’s on your side and who’s not. But family is, surprisingly, is always there through thick and thin.

Secondly, 2014 taught me that God tests us in two different ways: 1) He takes your everything, 2) He gives you everything. This whole year God has given me everything I have been wanting like passion-based job, secure income, and the chances to travel around. But the funny thing I still feel sad all the time (sadness is better accompanied with a job though). He simply tries to tell me that, yeah, everything I have ever wanted, is nothing without a kind of inner peace that originates only from Him.

Thirdly, I understand now what it means to get out of my comfort zone. You know like, letting go of the time freedom and make time for responsibilities just like how adults live; learning how to not being really dependent on people. Those kind of things. They shape me. And I am forever grateful that I walk through those phases this early.

I guess after all that has happened I’m still happy (and capable of making myself happy and comfortable) because this year I do not only wonder, I wander a lot too! These are the places I went to:

New Year in Singapore

March Exchange in Vietnam

Autumn in Korea. Best weather!

And finally, amateurish diving in Bali :p

It is so ungrateful of me, whining and complaining all the time while I have been given chances to wander a lot this year. What’s left to be sad about?

Let’s welcome next year with another plans: Istanbul and New Zealand! ;)

Things I Learn From Fajar Nugros’ 7/24

Don’t mind the product placement

Okay, so now I’m in this usual café I always go to and I just watched Fajar Nugros’ 7/24 because of my friend’s recommendation. This is a good Indonesian comedy-drama film with good message (you know, the good, old, wise message we’ve always known but often forget) and audiences get to see Dian Sastro again after the whole AADC Mini Film thing.

I’m 21 years old, but hey, why not starting to think about marriage thing from now on? So here’s a few things I learn from 7/24:

1) Girls may be selfish, but they have the right to

In this movie, you’ll see Tania (Dian Sastrowardoyo) and her husband Tyo (Lukman Sardi) arguing a lot as married couple. And you know, from audience’s point of view, especially man’s point of view, you’ll see that Tania is a control-freak type of wife who often doesn’t want to be blamed.

As a matter of fact, almost all girls are like that, but they have the right to. Because in typical household, the wife multitasks and pays attention to things that the husband has no time to think about. So, guys, calm your girls when they’re mad. They just need attention.

2) Jealousy is silly, but well.. what isn’t?

The couple in 7/24 movie often feel insecure with other people in their spouse’s life, although they know very well that they love and care about each other so much (I mean, 5 years of marriage and they still very much calling each other everyday?).

So jealousy is silly. But in a relationship, what isn’t? Even the idea of sacrificing your self for people you love can not be accepted by few skeptical people in this world. So the idea of being jealous, as illogical as it is, is not meant to be understood. It is meant to be tolerated.

3) People don’t get mad over one thing, they get mad over a collection of problems

You see, honestly, I didn’t actually get what the root cause of big fight near the end of the movie. Was it the teleconference thing? Was it the parent issue thing? People simply become angry over a complicated situation. And sometimes your spouse is the one left to blame, because they’re the only person you take for granted, whom you think wouldn’t judge you when you show your mad side. Sometimes all it takes are time and forgiveness.

Not trying to be a relationship expert here, but hey, those are my key takeaways. So, has everyone realized now that “the foundation of everything is a good family”? Watch the trailer here.