Kita dan Rumput tetangga

Saya termasuk wanita yang beruntung. Di usia yang tak lagi belia, saya masih boleh bangga beradu kecantikan kulit dengan para wanita yang jauh lebih muda. Dan semuanya ini saya dapatkan tanpa embel-embel dagangan kosmetik jutaan atau jimat dokter kulit atau mandi air susu dicampur bunga mawar. Malahan saya tidak terlalu menggubris urusan kulit wajah dan badan.

Lucunya, justru orang lain yang selalu memperhatikan kulit saya ini. Dari tukang salon, penjahit baju – dari yang kondang sampai yang rumahan, tukang pijat, penjual kosmetik, sampai ke suami saya dan teman-teman saya. Saya sering ditanya, minum jamu apa, pakai kosmetik apa, perawatan kulit di mana dan lain sebagainya.

Seperti manusia biasa lainnya, saya justru ribet sekali mengeluh soal bagian-bagian tubuh lain yang saya rasa kurang sempurna. Mata yang sipit sebelah, posisi gigi yang miring, rambut yang tipis, perut yang bergelembung tidak rata seperti papan, paha yang bersayap, badan yang kurang tinggi semampai dan masih banyak lagi. Tiap hari bangun pagi, pergi berkaca, dan langsung memergoki (kembali) segala kekurangan fisik saya tadi. Tak sekalipun saya meluangkan waktu untuk mengamati keindahan kulit saya yang tersohor itu, boro-boro mau meluangkan waktu untuk merawatnya. Prioritas utama saya yaitu menguruskan perut dan menghilangkan sayap di paha. Kalau perlu tidak usah makan sama sekali, sampai sakit maag hebat membuat saya lemas. Meluangkan waktu memeriksa serta mengukur apakah komposisi gigi saya yang miring bisa mendadak lurus dalam semalam. Sibuk menghitung helai rambut yang rontok tiap kali disisir. Sibuk berkhayal bagaimana cantiknya saya kalau badan saya tinggi di atas 1.5 m bak peragawati.
Terkadang, waktu saya juga habis mengagumi apa yang dimiliki orang lain, tetapi yang tidak dimiliki saya. ”Wah, si Anu kurus langsing ya. Perutnya rata lho.” Atau “Beruntung sekali si Anu. Matanya belo, bulu matanya lentik.” “Coba kalau saya bisa setinggi si Anu, semua peragawati lewaaat dah.” Kalau ada yang memuji saya, “Kulitmu halus dan wajahmu tidak jerawatan,” sayanya cuma melengos masem. “Plueassee dweeh…”

A View from Above

A little canary was asked to join a Canary choir. She was hesitant. She felt that her voice wasn’t as good as those of the other canaries in the choir. But the Choir Leader insisted,” We need a few more canaries with different vocal characteristic for the Grand Championship. You’ll be an invaluable addition to the group.”

The little canary went home thinking of excuses to reject the Choir Leader’s invitation. Her grandfather told her to give it a try. “What’s stopping you, my child?” he asked her granddaughter. The little canary frowned,”My voice is too deep and too harsh for a canary, Grandpa. It is not the Choir quality voice.” The grandfather smiled,”Nonsense, little one. Let me tell you something…” The grandfather pointed out to the sea of flowers underneath their nest, “Do you see what I see?” The little canary nodded, “Flowers.” “Beautiful flowers. Colorful, aren’t they?” added her grandfather animatedly.

Then, the grandfather pointed out to the sky,” Remember rainbow? What makes it so special?” “The beautiful colors?” answered the little canary with a grin. “Yes, yes! The colors. The d i f f e r e n t colors,” shouted her grandfather.

“Now,” continued the grandfather, “Look at our feathers.” “What about it?” asked the little canary, examining her own. “Yours is not exactly the same as mine. That what makes each of us special.” The little canary shrugged,” What does it have to do with my choir?”
“E v e r y t h i n g,” answered her grandfather passionately. “Rainbow is beautiful because of its different colors. Everything was made with its own mark, and everything is part of something bigger. And without that special thing, the bigger part wouldn’t be that beautiful. Look at those flowers. Can you imagine how dull it would be, if all of the flowers have only one color?”

Bullying is Real

Bullying is real. So is cyberbullying.

I just read an article in TIME magazine, October edition, about bullying. In that sad shocking article, one can't help but feeling upset and nervous. Four US teenagers committed suicide last September after being bullied by their friends. This is not a horror movie, unfortunately, this is real.

Here are a few excerpts from the article:
"In the past four weeks, four US teenagers killed themselves after being harassed by schoolmates. Technology is quickly changing how kids bully one another."
"Bullies can be anywhere but there's no place they show up more than in schools"
"The trouble is, the technology of bullying has advanced much faster than efforts to stop it ever could. If you have a cell phone, you can post to your entire school that a girl is a slut or a boy is a fag - and you can attach unflattering photo or video to prove it. At least bullies of previous decades had to hold you down before they could spit in your face."
"There is a chicken-egg quality to bullying - you get hurt, and then you exact a price for it. And today, if you have so much as a Twitter account, you can exact that price in just 140 characters before any school official has a chance to talk you down. You post your worst thoughts in a heated moment, and the damage is done."
"Hateful behavior is never appropriate, no matter whether it happens online or in person. The idea that one is different from the other is the major problem." In short, it is incivility, wherever it occurs, that launches what can become a vicious bullying cycle."

I have read and re-read the above article a few times, and then I observe my surrounding. I can’t help but notice that in my neighborhood nowadays, a kid as young as 7 year old goes to school carrying a smartphone. As parents, we need to be wise, smart, and up-to-date in handling the issue. Here are a few points that came into my mind:

Courtesy has (not yet) died

My family went out to eat in a small restaurant in our neighborhood one evening. The place was crowded and the space was limited. While we were waiting for our meals, Nina accidentally dropped her cutleries and a small plate onto the floor. A family of four was passing our table when that incident happened. One of the young boys, I am guessing around 10-12 years old, smiled and quickly knelt down to pick up the mess my Nina has created on the floor. My husband immediately stood up and tried to stop him, saying it was not necessary for him to do that, but the boy continued doing it, put everything back on the table and smiled at Nina, "Ini, Dek." His family stood around and smiled too.

I, as usual, was too stunned to speak. I think I still managed to utter an awkward “Thank You.” There is no way I would do what this young boy has done. To a bunch of strangers? Definitely No Way! Let the waitress do that stuff.

Sekolah vs Les

Dahulu kala, semua hewan diwajibkan untuk bersekolah layaknya para manusia. Awalnya semua hewan masuk di kelas yang sama untuk mendapatkan pelajaran dasar pertama. Pelajaran dasar pertama antara lain adalah membaca peta hutan rimba, berhitung dan penguasaan karakter musuh.

Lambat laun, kelas dipecah sesuai dengan karakter masing-masing hewan. Para raja rimba seperti singa dan harimau mengikuti kelas mengintai mangsa dan kelas lari cepat. Para pemamah biak diajarkan cara memilih rumput yang segar dan bagaimana cara mengunyah yang tepat.

Tanpa disadari, terjadilah persaingan antar hewan dan antar sekolah. Semua berambisi untuk mencetak murid-murid yang sempurna dan gilang gemilang bak bintang. Status elit antar sekolah juga dipertaruhkan.

Untuk keperluan ini, sekolah-sekolah lalu menerapkan pelajaran yang lebih sulit dan menganut system penilaian yang lebih tinggi kepada para murid. Imbas dari pergeseran ini adalah menjamurnya acara pelajaran tambahan di luar sekolah, terutama untuk anak-anak hewan yang kurang mampu beradaptasi dan untuk anak-anak hewan yang berambisi menjadi bintang. Dipanggillah para pakar dari luar sekolah. Jadilah para anak sapi diajarkan (secara lebih mendalam) bagaimana cara memamah biak yang (lebih) tepat supaya ia bisa ke sekolah dan mempraktekkan cara memamah biak yang benar tersebut. Demikian pula dengan si anak singa. Supaya ia lebih jawara di dalam memburu mangsanya, ikutlah ia di pelajaran tambahan di luar jam sekolahnya, yang mengklaim akan lebih mengasah kemampuan perburuannya. Supaya nantinya ia bisa lulus dan memperoleh nilai yang lebih tinggi di sekolahnya, demikian klaim si orang tua singa.

Sang Pipit Kecil

Suatu ketika ada seekor burung pipit kecil yang sedang belajar terbang. Sang Ibu tak sabar ingin anaknya segera mahir terbang tinggi. Sialnya, sang pipit kecil tidak bisa langsung terbang tinggi. Terkadang ia hanya sanggup melompat dari dahan dan langsung terjatuh. Kepakan sayapnya masih lemah dan keahlian terbangnya masih nol.

Sang Ibu semakin tak sabar. Menurut sang Ibu, terbang adalah pekerjaan yang tidak sulit sama sekali. Ini adalah keahlian dasar semua burung pipit. Dalam ketidaksabarannya, sang Ibu mulai kehilangan akal sehat. Keluarlah omelan dan cacian untuk si kecil. "Masa terbang saja kau tak bisa?" "Apanya yang susah, Nak, kan hanya mengepakkan sayap." Mulailah sang Ibu menendang dan menjitak kepala sang anak apabila ia gagal terbang tinggi.

Sang pipit kecil ketakutan untuk mencoba. Terbang yang menjadi impiannya surut tiap hari seiring dengan omelan dari sang Ibu. "Mungkin Ibuku benar. Mungkin aku memang bodoh, tak bisa terbang," pikirnya sendu.

Suatu saat, sang Ibu pipit sedang pergi meninggalkan si anak di dahan. Datanglah seekor macan yang sedang lapar. Si macan mengintai sang pipit, "Akhirnya, inilah makan siangku." Sambil mengendap-endap, sang macan memanjat pohon tanpa suara. Tatkala sang pipit kecil menengok, sudah terlambat tampaknya. Andai kata ia terbang, ia pasti selamat. Namun, di dalam hatinya, si pipit kecil yakin kalau ia tak bisa terbang. Bukannya selama ini sudah terbukti kalau ia memang bodoh, tak bisa terbang? Bukankah selama ini sang Ibu terus berkata demikian?

Men 3G

Men 3G (Gadget, Gadget, and Gadget)
Available in the stores near you

It is not a top secret that men are addicted to gadgets, just like women are addicted to handbags and shoes. Some of these addictions are cure-able, but in my history of living in this hi-tech gadget nation, this gadget epidemic is beyond help.

Whenever there are gatherings - family's or friend's- the men would form themselves a group. I call it the fruit corner because all they ever talked in this fruit corner was about apple and berry. Apparently, these two types of fruit are now on top of the fruit chain. The accessories that go with these fruits are much more sophisticated and more expensive compare to the regular grocery bags that we usually get at the end of the cashier counter in the supermarket.

The funny thing about men and their gadgets is, they like to compare and try out each other gadget, even if their gadgets are the exact same brand, containing the same type of applications. I don't see women swap their shoes with each other, especially if the models and the type are the same.

The men also like to check out the bits and pieces of their gadget (aka accessories) frequently. They will wonder in the electronic stores/ malls every week and check out online stores for programs and other possible new gadgetry every waking hour. Don't they know, that even the brightest researcher / technician who are employed by my Uncle Jobs, won't be able to come up with anything new or breakthrough gadget/ application in 24x7, let alone in less than 24 hours. I keep telling my husband that, and he keeps staring at his computer and frantically exploring all of the pages that he could find on his gadgets. Weird! We don't go checking on LV shops every day. And our bags models, types, and collection vary by a huge number compare to the men's gadgets. If you do the checking constantly and frequently, you will lose all your restraining order not to buy anything, honey.

God's Way

(inspired by one of Paulo Coelho's novel)

I just read a short novel by Paulo Coelho recently. The prologue of this novel was an eye opener. Here is the part that took my breath away

“A Spanish missionary was visiting an island when he came across three Aztec priests. “How do you pray?” the missionary asked. “We have only one prayer,” answered one of the Aztecs. “We say, God you are three, we are three. Have pity on us.” “A beautiful prayer,” said the missionary. “But it is not exactly the one that God heeds. I am going to teach you one that’s much better."
The missionary taught them a Catholic prayer and then continued his path of evangelism.

Years later, when he was returning to Spain, his ship stopped again at the island. From the deck, the missionary saw the three priests on the shore and waved to them. “Padre! Padre!” one of them called, approaching the ship. “Teach us again that prayer that God heeds. We’ve forgotten how it goes.”
"It doesn’t matter,” responded the missionary, witnessing the miracle. And he promptly asked God’s forgiveness for failing to recognize that He speaks all languages. ”

How many times we feel that our way of life, including religion, faith and custom, is better than everybody else’s, especially of those whose life and faith are different from ours. We often forgot that God has created His people different from one another - to complete each other. Human tends to judge anything that’s different from them as bad and threatening. In that limited point of view, we end up missing out a lot.

Baby! It's Karaoke Time

The Journey of the Clown Kids

The first time going to a karaoke place with my kids was like the first time taking them to school. Excited and nervous. They were a bit hesitant at first because the place was dark and small. After a while, they relaxed a bit and began surveying the equipments and the food menu. My Clown Prince must’ve thought that this place was a junk-food restaurant, because his face brightened seeing pages of his favorite-but-off-the-limit-food offered. “Wow, Ma, I want French fries and Oreo. Then if I am still hungry, I want spaghetti and ice cream.” They each got a bottle of water instead.

Since this was my first time too (after 20 years) in a karaoke, I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my snappy judgmental kids. My husband was out of town that time so it was just the three of us. I asked the helper to find me children songs. The helper – a friendly young boy - stayed with us for a while, helping me tune up the sound and teaching me how to use the computer. I saw a great selection of the children songs. I immediately selected a long list of familiar songs, like Twinkle Twinkle, Row Row Row, ABC song, Five Little Ducks, Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, You are My Sunshine and many more. My kids weren’t that thrilled. Even Nina – who was age appropriate for those songs - looked bored. Mike sighed and started asking me about the junk food again. Boy, singing karaoke back in my high school time was a lot simpler than this.

I panicky browsed through the selection again. Accidentally I clicked the best song category instead of children’s. Michael quickly caught the title on the top. Justin Beiber’s Baby. Voila! They kicked off the session with the Baby song. Both of them were at their feet, singing, dancing, feeling the beat. Without further ado, came along Kelly Clarkson’s My Life Would Suck without You. Then followed closely by Jason Mraz’s Lucky, Michael Buble’s Haven’t Met You Yet, Taylor Swift’s Love Story, Rolling Stone’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Rihanna’s Take a Bow, Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, Lionel Richie’s Endless Love, and Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. In between this line-up, Justin Beiber’s Baby got a few repeat orders. And everytime I sang along Baby, Nina frowned at me and said, ”Mama, don’t sing! This is my song, not your song.” What ???

I am a fan, so what ?

*dedicated to my La Furia Roja 2010.
Hours ahead of the historic "All European" Grand Final.
July 11th 2010. World Cup, South Africa.

*dedicated to my fellow Spain fans. Especially to Od, you are one hell of a fan !

Being a sport fan is usually more intense compare to the other types of fan. The intensity varies from sport to sport. There is the politeness kind of intensity in tennis and in golf. The fans usually grunt and cheer with their teeth and jaws clapped shut. Classy is the way to describe these fans. In football/soccer, the intensity is downright ugly, barbaric, and brutal. One soccer fan is loud enough. Put more of those in the same room and the room will explode with thunderous roars and firecrackers. That is the amazing irony about soccer games. All kind of noises are permitted and all sorts of technologies are not. I am so proud to be one of the fans; this is a perfect way to express one self completely.

Aside from being brutal, a football fan is also a smart-ass, meaning we think we know our team the best. We think we know how to play the game the best. We think we have the smartest strategy to win, bla bla bla. We also expect too much of our players. We want them to push their body beyond maximum ability, to fight for the ball, to kick, to jump, to twirl, to somersault, to fly, and to fall face-flat to the ground. We don’t tolerate whiners on the field, even when someone just fell down and cracked some bones, all in the name of football. “Get up, you sissy! It was nothing!” We think that the football players’ bodies are made out of steel and bricks. Off the record, I was all teary and sobby when my toddler daughter accidentally step on my toe, but again, my body is not built for a professional athlete… so it’s ok for me to wince a little.

I love soccer. It is a simple game. One can play anywhere, anyplace, and anytime. No need for rackets, nets, hoops, or water. Just a simple ball will do. In its simplicity comes the greatest teamwork known to mankind. The eleven players on the field work as one mind and one body. They are all equipped with mind/body reading of those from their own team, there’s no time to pause the game to communicate or to write down the instructions and strategy to each other.

La Furia Roja

La Furia Roja

Walau terseok-seok
Kalian bukan manusia keok
Walau tertatih-tatih
Bukti kalian pasti

Memang bola itu bulat
Tekad kalian lebih hebat
Biru, Putih, Oranye menghadang
Hanya ke Merah mata memandang

Aku asli wanita
Aku juga asli mafia bola
Aku bisa manis, bisa pula sadis
Jadi jangan kau bikin aku menangis

Forgiving

I don’t remember the last time I ever forgave anybody including myself. That’s probably because I’ve never done it. Forgiving is one of the hardest thing to do. Because forgiving means letting go all of the hatred, the bitterness, and the hurt that we’ve experienced. Cursing and hating those who caused us pain is a lot easier. There’s no single pain that is deeper than the others. Once you are pained, the discomfort is all the same.

Forgiving, like any other things in life, is a healing process. It takes time and courage to do it. It takes much a bigger heart to accept others as they are without the necessity for us to correct them or to change them. Some people are so lucky that they are able to forgive others all at once. Meaning, they can let go completely – the hurt, the sadness, the past – to step forward into a new life. Their steps will definitely lighter than before. Some people can’t forgive that easily. They do it piece by piece. These people still carry a bit of the grudge over their mind while slowly letting go of the other piece. Either way, start forgiving is better than not at all. If we don’t learn how to forgive and to let go, we would end up carrying all the sadness inside us. It would change the way we view the world and its people. We could become exactly like the person whom we hate. We could become selfish, ignorant, and full of self pity.

I was forced to forgive somebody lately. I had no choice since the hatred inside me was growing stronger each day, it clouded my happiness and the people’s around me. Nobody wanted to hang out with the snappy bitchy witch who was angry all the time. Once I took that first step of letting it go, I was overwhelmed by the soothing feeling. It felt like someone had removed the dark cloud that’s been hanging over my head. I can smile again - genuinely - not forced nor fake. I gradually push away those people that I forgave out of my mind. Their presence there had made my mind heavier and my heart blackened prior to my forgiving process. I need this space for sunshine, rainbow, and laughter. I must fill this space with the people who I love and with the things which I love. I am still in the process of letting go completely, let the time lead the way.

Belajar itu (seharusnya) Menyenangkan

Preface :
Special thanks to my teacher friends, Jane and Agnes Bemoe, for allowing me to pick their brain and for sharing their thoughts. May you always teach from the heart, because nothing will ever go wrong from the heart's point of view. May you always inspire your students, because they never fail to inspire you.

Belajar itu (seharusnya) Menyenangkan

Ada banyak alasan mengapa judul di atas itu benar. Berikut ini adalah beberapa alasan tersebut.

Alasan pertama, semua manusia diciptakan oleh Sang Pencipta lengkap dengan rasa ingin tahu yang besar. Curiosity adalah awal yang membawa manusia berkembang maju. Tanpa curiosity, manusia tidak akan pernah mendarat di bulan, tidak akan pernah menghasilkan penemuan dan inovasi besar, tidak akan bertambah pintar. Manusia pada dasarnya selalu ingin tahu, selalu tergerak untuk mencari tahu. Curiosity ini sudah ada di dalam diri kita sejak kita bayi sampai selamanya. Walaupun kita telah melepaskan bangku sekolah, rasa keingin tahuan kita masih tetap ada. Kita tetap mau tahu ini dan itu, dari hal-hal yang sepele sampai hal-hal yang besar.

Proses mencari tahu ini sebenarnya adalah proses belajar itu sendiri. Jadi seharusnya, proses belajar dari kita kecil sampai tua adalah proses yang menyenangkan, karena kita semua sudah dikaruniai DNA curiosity ini. Tidak perlu memakai paksaan. Belajar yang benar dan menyenangkan itu adalah belajar yang dapat menjawab kebutuhan curiosity kita. Belajar itu harus bisa merangsang kreativitas, imajinasi, dan out-of-the-box thinking. Kalau sudah berbicara mengenai ini semua, secara otomatis belajar itu menjadi menyenangkan. Jangan lagi belajar model hafalan atau cara diktator yang meminta anak untuk menerima saja tanpa banyak tanya. Kalau dalam kenyataan, proses belajar – terutama untuk anak-anak – menjadi tidak menyenangkan, menjadi membosankan atau malah menjadi menakutkan, maka kemungkinan besar yang salah bukanlah sang anak, tetapi sistem belajar dan tenaga pengajar itu sendiri.

Nasi Padang

Siapa yang tidak pernah makan di restoran Padang? Makanan satu ini sudah sedemikian terkenalnya sampai ke penghujung dunia. Nasi Padang, baik yang disantap di tempat maupun yang dibungkus, nikmatnya tiada tara. Selain menunya yang menggoyang lidah, budaya penyajian nasi Padang juga mempesona mata.

Saya suka sekali makan nasi Padang sejak saya masih kecil. Seiring dengan bertambahnya umur, nafsu saya untuk menumpahkan saus gulai ke nasi, menyantap jeroan dan otak, dan menghabiskan berpiring-piring sambal ijo menjadi berkurang. Ini murni karena alasan kesehatan, bukan karena saya sudah berpaling hati dari nasi Padang. Saya senang dengan dinamika restoran Padang, di mana para pelayannya serba sigap gerak cepat.

Setiap kali saya makan di restoran Padang, terutama di rumah makan Padang yang sudah terkenal, saya sering melamun. Saya sering bertanya sendiri, mengapa para pelayan di restoran Padang tampak selalu sibuk kesana-kemari? Terkadang tempat yang saya datangi tidak terlalu ramai pengunjungnya dan para petugasnya pun berjumlah cukup. Terkadang kalau lagi beruntung, saya disuguhi pemandangan akrobat amatir di mana para pelayan tersebut setengah berlari membawa tumpukan piring –baik yang bersih maupun yang kotor- dan bermanuver layaknya mobil balap. Pakai gaya sliding, berkelit dan mengerem mendadak. Pokoknya seru dan sibuk deh. Pertanyaan saya adalah, mengapa sibuk sekali ya? Kan restoran ini termasuk kategori restoran siap saji. Tidak perlu mengorder makanan. Para pelayan hanya membawa makanan ke meja (itupun sebagian besar sudah tertata di piring), tidak perlu menghias piring (tak seperti restoran fine dining), dan menghitung bon pada akhir acara makan. Para pelanggan pun biasanya pergi membayar ke kasir sendiri. Jadi para pelayan tidak perlu bolak-balik ke kasir membawa uang/kartu kredit serta membawa balik uang kembalian/kartu kredit untuk ditandatangani. Mengapa mereka sibuk sekali, sampai terkadang terkesan lama melayani permintaan pelanggan?

American Idol 9th season

Okay Lee, you’ve won the 9th American Idol title. Congratulations! If we want to be honest, Crystal’s singing performance was way ahead of yours last night.. but, again, it’s OK. It’s been decided and let’s move on. (Hey, I am the Queen of Bitchiness. This was my first reaction to the news)

Everyone would –no doubt- agree that Lee and Crystal were the best singers this season. They gave out everything they’ve got - their talent , their confidence and their determination (as Simon said, 10 out of 10).
When I heard from my friends that Lee won, I couldn’t believe it. I watched the finale twice. Twice! And in both of them (haha), Crystal was the better singer than Lee. In paper, Crystal had won the title, the jury kind of believed it too. So what’s the matter? My friend and my sis-in-law tried to answer my thundering question. ‘Lee is more commercial, both the face and the voice.’ ‘America fell in love with Lee cos he isn’t boring, he is cute and vulnerable, like a cutie little puppy.’ ‘If Casey James or Katie Stevens were in the finale, they could win too. These two were more commercially sellable than the rest of the contestants.’ ‘Well, Lee is commercially sellable sih, Mel. Not fair, but that’s the truth.’
So, talent and determination won’t guarantee you to win the title, huh? Maybe not, but not to worry.

Hmm..It's Mama's blackberry!

The Journey of the Clown Kids

1.
Mike : Why do you like playing blackberry so much, Ma?
Me : Why do you like playing NDS so much, Mike?
Mike : (grinning) Oh..

The conversation ended and never resurfaced again. Total understanding is the best conversation of all. If only some of the tough negotiations in the world could be accomplished like the one we just did, the world peace is coming nearer to us than ever.


2.
Nina asked me some questions. My hands and my mind were (still) glued to my blackberry and my longest-most creative answers were “uh-huh” , “hmm” , “err”

Nina : MAMA! TALK! DON'T SAY uh-huh! TALK LONGER! PUT BLACKBERRY DOWN!!


3.
On my desperate attempt to threaten Mike

Me : Mike, if you don’t study now, I‘ll take away your game and your toys.
Mike : Mama, if you don’t listen to me now, I’ll take away your blackberry.


4.
Mike drew me a nice picture on this recent Mother’s Day. It was the drawing of my laptop and my blackberry. And he wrote : To Mama. Your hobbies are reading book, playing computer, and playing blackberry. I love you.

Wow! It's toys!

The Journey of the Clown Kids





My family and I live in a modern toy museum, thanks to my husband’s growing toy collection. Men find toys fascinating. The older they get, the more expensive and complicated their stuff are. You see, all men have the Peter Pan syndrome – a syndrome so powerful that adulthood has to move aside. The toys which fall under the Peter Pan syndrome are ranging from superhero figures to electronic, gadgets, and automobiles. This syndrome is so complex that it’s best for us to set aside a different time to discuss and mock it properly. Today, we will look at the toys and their impact on my Clown Kids.

My husband (or my eldest son, I call him) started his toy collecting hobby when he was in high school. Not too much, not too crazy at that time. Till last year, I asked him to help out in my son’s school performance and I asked him if he didn’t mind appearing on the stage as Darth Vader. Little did I know, that this innocent request has connected him with his Peter Pan soul. It’s like Peter Pan meets Darth Vader in the most comical way. It was the missing link!
My husband collects collectible movie memorabilia, a hobby that quickly covers the whole house, from our bedroom to living rooms, to guest rooms, to kitchen cabinets, to walls and to library. His “vision” is to use his toys as the house’s interior design.

Determination

Talented ordinary women with extraordinary determination
(inspired by Julie & Julia the movie)

I watched this movie a tad too late compare to my other friends. I only watched it once and immediately fell in love with the characters. Two women - in different life and in different time – bound to fill their own sense of purpose through the art of cooking. One started just to fill in her spare time while serving as a diplomat’s wife in the early years. The other one- in much more modern time – was trying to escape her constant feeling of failure and her inability to finish anything in her life.

Both women met challenges in their ordinary lives, but the way they pursue their goals was extraordinary. I once again learn that some dreams don’t take shape in our early lives. We go search them only to go home empty handed before they finally come knocking our front door, usually in a time when we least expect it. Rejections and prejudice always bring our hope and dreams down, but to define and to keep the dream is the art of determination.

I am much interested in the Julie character in this movie. She was a lost puppy surrounded by a pack of friends whom all had accomplished something great in their lives. She was the unhappy-under pressure loser. She once had a dream of being a writer, but never had the willingness to finish her novel. In one of her most frustrated moment, she decided to start something small, something that combines both of her talents – cooking and writing. So there came the Julie&Julia blog – a blog with a simple goal, which is to write her own experience in cooking all of the 514 recipes in Julia Child’s cooking book in exactly 365 days. She determined to finish her project. Along the way, she was alive. She found her happiness and her sense of purpose.
There were downs, many downs, in both of these women’s stories. There were disappointments, tears, and anger. But there was also determination. A determination so strong that it made them keeps going. Not only that, they had a marvelous time in the process too.

Seorang Sri Mulyani

Ibu Sri Mulyani

Hari ini, 5 Mei 2010, ramai diberitakan di media bahwa Ibu Sri Mulyani memperoleh tawaran pekerjaan yang bergengsi di World Bank sebagai seorang Managing Director. Ini prestasi yang luar biasa untuk seorang anak bangsa. Baru sedikit anak bangsa yang sanggup menorehkan prestasi seperti ini di jagat belantara dunia. Namun sayangnya prestasi ini ternoda oleh banyaknya tudingan miring dan nada sumbang mengenai keterkaitan Ibu Sri di kasus Century di tanah air.

Terlepas apakah Ibu Sri Mulyani bersalah atau tidak - perlu diingat bahwa tak ada yang benar-benar hitam dan tidak ada yang benar-benar putih di dunia perpolitikan - kita sebagai saudara sebangsa selayaknya bangga akan prestasi ini. Kalau bukan kita yang bangga, lalu siapa? Kalau bukan kita yang terinspirasi untuk terus maju membawa nama harum bangsa, lalu siapa? Kalau bukan kita yang mau bersusah payah mengikuti jejak segelintir orang yang berusaha membawa kebaikan untuk bangsa ini, lalu siapa? Sangat disayangkan bahwa talenta sebesar ini harus pergi dari bumi nusantara. Kenapa orang-orang yang mementingkan diri sendiri yang menang ? Mungkin terlalu dini buat mengatakan siapa yang menang atau siapa yang kalah. Bisa dimengerti posisi Ibu Sri yang akhirnya memilih mundur dari jabatan menteri..mana enak sih kalau bekerja diusik melulu dari kiri kanan depan belakang? Keputusan beliau ini langsung dibarengi dengan anjloknya IHSG, terjun bebas demikian komentar para pialang. Para investor yang selama ini menghormati kebijakan dan professionalism beliau menjadi panik.

Look! It's food!

The Journey of the Clown Kids

On Nina’s 3rd birthday, we invited our families to a small party in a restaurant. This was a cafe-based restaurant, so everybody ordered their own food, not ‘makan tengah’ ala Chinese food. Mike was seated next to his Uncle and opposite his Grandpa. These men ordered steaks. When the steaks arrived, the Uncle deliberately separated the fat from the meat. Mike found this fascinating yet confusing, but he was polite enough not to ask. On the way home, he finally asked me “Ma, why did Uncle Rudy cut off the fat from the steak and throw it away?” Oh I so got this, I thought. “Yes Mike, because eating fat is bad for our body. It can cause us bla bla bla...” Mike must’ve heard only the bla bla bla part since he interupted me, sounding impatient “B-b-but, Mama, THAT IS THE BEST PART of the whole meat! Why do you old people always hate yummy food?”

First - apparently for Mike, who is 7 - anyone who is taller than him is called ‘old people’. Second, he has made a super brilliant point here - do we, the old people, hate yummy food? Why does the yummy food bad for us? My doctor friends would probably type all the answers right now, but we are not discussing cholesterol, uric acid, cardiac arrest, or obesity. I am seeing things from my kids’ innocent point of view. Perhaps we should all listen to our kids more (wink)

Money Talks Bulls**t Walks

Di suatu sore yang panas, saya bercurhat dengan seorang sahabat nyentrik bernama C lewat salah satu media chatting. Percakapannya singkat, tetapi drama percakapan ini lalu berkembang-biak lebih hidup di dalam otak saya. Seakan-akan per-chatting-an 10 menit tadi berubah menjadi percakapan face-to-face beneran di sebuah kedai kopi Starbucks... lengkap dengan Lattee, cinnamon rolls, blackberries, oversized handbags, dan Marlboro (yang terakhir ini khusus buat C).

“Heran ya.. kenapa banyak sekali orang munafik di dunia ini,” keluh saya dengan nada putus asa.

“Baru tau loe?” sahut C cuek.

“Gue selalu kena ama orang beginian, yang mengakunya suci, sok berkelas, sok berpendidikan, tapi kenyataannya jauh euy. Ngelihat semuanya kok dari pikiran yang sempit. Gak open-minded.”

“Money Talks bulls**t walks.”

“Judgemental, prejudice...“

“Money talks bulls**t walks.”

“Coward, sok tau, reseee deh pokoknya. Benci banget ama orang-orang berjenis pretentious begini. Benci, Benci. BENCI!”

“Money talks bulls**t walks.”

“Could you please STOP saying that! Focus, girl, focus.”

“Lha ini fokus. Itu jawaban dari semua keluh kesah cengeng loe.”

“Lucu kan, C. Tuhan saja tidak pernah judgemental, ya gak? Orang yang berdosa aja masih dianggap sederajat, tidak dihakimi secara membabi buta. Apalagi disalah-salahkan, di-asbun-asbunkan, diejek-ejek. Lha kenapa manusia yang ngaku beragama dan berpendidikan banyak yang tingkahnya gak begitu? Why why ?”

“As I said...”

“DON’T!! Ya, ya gue tahu.. money talks bulls**t walks.”

“Temen gue juga banyak yang taking advantage abis-abisan. Yang menghakimi gue dengan norma-norma mereka sendiri.Tapi lucunya di depan gue manis banget, apalagi kalau ada perlunya. Jangan tanya deh kalau di belakang gue..”

Kita dan Teman Sejati

Banyak pepatah bijaksana yang menjelaskan apa artinya seorang teman sejati. Wejangan mengenai teman sejati biasanya berkisar kepada sifat-sifat seorang teman sejati, yaitu selalu siap di sisi kita pada saat senang dan susah. Wejangan selanjutnya menegaskan betapa sedikitnya orang-orang di sekeliling kita yang bisa disebut teman sejati. Teman sejati itu bak barang mewah, yang tidak mungkin bisa didapat secara diskon, buy one get one free atau di acara midnight sale. Ada yang mengistilahkan teman sejati itu ibarat branded product limited edition. Kalau sudah begini, keluarlah segala macam keluh kesah kita, yah mana bisa kebeli dengan harga segitu, jumlahnya limited banget, masa mesti rebutan antri berhari-hari. Mesti beli yang asli kah? Beli yang imitasi aja kali sudah cukup...kan gak ada yang tau ini... mungkin betul, tapi kita sendiri kan tahu. Masa mau membohongi diri sendiri?

Di umur kita yang sekarang, mencari teman sejati itu susah-susah gampang. Agak berbeda dengan saat kita sekolah dulu. Pada saat itu kita dikeliligi oleh begitu banyak manusia-manusia sebaya. Kita tidak mau berteman pun, tetap saja kebanjiran teman.
Dengan bertambahnya usia, kesempatan kita untuk mendapat teman baru biasanya lebih terbatas. Karena kita ketemunya orang-orang yang itu-itu lagi, di lingkungan yang itu-itu lagi. Kita juga semakin menyadari betapa berharganya teman-teman sejati.

Perlu ada sekolah atau les privat buat menjadi teman sejati? Sebenarnya sih tidak perlu, karena kita kan sudah punya hati nurani. Yang biasanya menjadi problem adalah kita terlalu berharap bahwa orang lainlah yang harus berusaha untuk menjadi teman sejati BUAT kita. Kita sering lupa kalau kita sendiri bisa menjadi teman sejati BUAT orang lain.

Defying Gravity

(an anger note)

The people who can hurt you the most are usually the people who are close to you the most, because they know the location of your heart and they know how to break it easily into pieces, leaving you shatter and hurting beyond any pain and any reasons imaginable.

When I experienced that kind of hurt, I always do what I am best at doing... running away. It may not be the best solution, but I don’t know how to express the pain or dissapointment, let alone my reasons to those people who hurt me.

So, I am running...I hope I will meet other people during my run-away moment, who sincerely appreciate and respect me for who I am. People who will stand by me, stand by my cause and reasons throughout the day and night, and not just in the darkest room when noone else are around, then abandon me in the daylight when all eyes are on them. I want to meet other people who will understand me and protect me, who will never sacrifice me to fulfill their own need, their own greed, their own fear, and their own insecurity.

I hope that I am running in right path towards Mount Olympus or Heaven like some people call it these days, because I am in the dire need to speak to God. Not to desperately question Him, just want to feel His words of wisdom and peace all over again.

What does mellyberry mean?

Ada beberapa teman yang bertanya apa arti nama ‘mellyberry’ yang saya pakai di blog saya. Inilah cerita sepintas mengenai latar belakang lahirnya nama kebangsaan tersebut.

Semuanya berawal dari sebuah benda mungil bernama blackberry...

Long long time ago...saya tidak suka blackberry, bisa dibilang pendukung grup anti-blackberry. Tidak perlulah dijelaskan alasan amburadul saya membenci blackberry. Saya sering sekali mengejek teman-teman saya yang ber-blackberry. Diantara sekian banyak teman saya yang memakai blackberry , ada satu orang yang selalu menasihati saya berkenaan dengan sifat anti-blackberry saya. “Kalau tak kenal, maka tak sayang.” Kita sebut Ibu yang bijaksana ini dengan inisial 805LP. Beliau ini sosialita kondang, jadi untuk alasan keamanan perlu bagi saya untuk menyamarkan nama aslinya. Sekedar tambahan saja, 805LP jugalah yang memperkenalkan Facebook kepada saya yang asli orang gaptek. (Ini efek positif kalau hang out dengan sosialita tampaknya. *nyengir*).

Lalu tibalah suatu hari saya mendapat hadiah blackberry dari sang suami. Aihh senangnya. Segala mitos dan cibiran anti blackberry saya langsung sirna sekejap, secepat gelembung permen karet meletus. Memang benar kata Ibu 805LP tadi, tak kenal maka tak sayang. Hidup saya serasa lebih sibuk dengan hadirnya si mainan ajaib ini. Saat saya berhasil mengaktifkan blackberry saya, si Ibu 805LP ini dengan sukacitanya menulis status sebagai berikut “Welcome Mellyberry”. Ibu 805LP ini orang yang baik hati, jadi saya yakin bahwa status tadi ditulis dengan segala ketulusan hatinya. Memang benar-benar berniat mem-welcome saya ke dunia blackberry yang gegap gempita. Tapi, karena dulunya saya terkenal pedas kalau menyindir para pemakai blackberry, ucapan welcome mellyberry membuat saya jadi merasa bersalah. “Halah, dari dulu kek bergabung dengan para berries, pakai protes-protesan segala.”

Pu Tien and my comfort zone

This weekend was my in-laws’ birthdays and the family has decided to celebrate it in a far away restaurant called Pu Tien in Sawah Besar. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received the complete address of the restarurant in my phone. Was this for real? Would they be requiring passports to enter that zip code? For a person who lives mostly in the South (suburb) part of the town, my farthest trip to the city is to Bundaran HI and then back. Even though I heard so many people telling me interesting stories about the life beyond Bundaran HI, I was never been intrigued to visit. So, this weekend apparently I was forced to try something new, entirely.

Talking about ‘try something new’, I am kinda pathetic in this department. I’ve been teaching my kids to always ‘try something new’ and keep their minds open. And I usually brag to other people that I am the champion of the ‘trying something new’ stuff (at least I am a better try-er than my husband). But everytime when situation presents me with something completely different from what I know, I dutifully retreat back. I guess what I forgot to say all along is that, I don’t mind trying something new as long as it still lies within my comfort zone. Bundaran HI is my comfort zone. Anything new within my borders are acceptable. Meaning, I am willing to give it a try. Unfortunately (for my mind), anything new outside my borders are not-that-easily-acceptable.

How many times do you feel that way? Don’t we usually judge that ‘something new outside my border’ is bad? It’s not comfortable to be out of our comfort zone, indeed. But staying too long in our comfort zone makes us lazy and ignorant. The simple answer to this problem is to (simply) try something new a little step at a time. And for me, this little step was driving accross my Kingdom to the FarAway Land to have a birthday party with my family.

Bahasaku, bosomu, and my language

Tulisan satu ini sudah pasti bakalan diprotes oleh banyak orang. Yang pertama, bisa diprotes oleh orang-orang yang menganut kosa kata dan tata bahasa yang benar dan rapi. (Tulisan ini akan ditulis dalam lebih dari satu bahasa dan dialek). Kedua, mungkin akan diprotes oleh kalangan akademik yang mengatakan pentingnya satu mother language for the children. Mereka mungkin benar, tapi ini bukan tulisan ilmiah untuk mengklaim benar atau tidaknya suatu teori. This is my story dan story dari kebanyakan teman-teman kita yang dibesarkan dalam suatu lingkungan yang multi language and multi culture.

Saya orang Jawa asli. Bukan Jawa halus ala Solo atau Jogja, tapi Jawa Surabaya. Bahasa Jawa Surabaya iki rodo khas, blasteran antara Jawa dan Madura. Bahasane keras, penuh pisuhan (swearing words) , tapi very very intimate dan penuh rasa kekeluargaan. Selain itu tentunya saya fasih berbahasa Indonesia, lalu sedikit Mandarin sana sini. Mandarin yang saya dapat saat saya masih kecil itu pun bukan Mandarin baku, tapi blasteran Jawa Mandarin. Makanya kalau mau dipakai di event internasional, orang yang bukan Jawa pasti tidak ngerti bahasa Mandarinnya Wong Jowo. Pada saat kuliah, saya pindah ke Jakarta, jadilah gue canggih berdialek ala orang Ibukota. Loe dan gue getu loh. Lalu pergi ke USA, tinggal di daerah West Coast. Jadilah berbicara English What's up, man?. Sewaktu bekerja, saya beruntung dikelilingi oleh banyak orang dari bangsa lain. Diantara sebegitu banyaknya bahasa dan dialek di tempat kerja, yang paling lekat adalah Sing-Lish. Haiya you kepo one ah, you tell me. You want, you take lah.. This one can’t do lah, too complicated meh.

Terus saya married dengan orang Jakarta made in Ujung Pandang. Wah, kalau sudah dikelilingi sanak saudara asal Makassar, jadilah ko jangang makang ikang sama pegang hangfong. (kau jangan makan ikan sama pegang handphone). Wow, ini dialek tergampang yang pernah saya temui. Cukup tambah saja huruf “g” di setiap akhir kata, kadang-kadang buang sedikit embel-embel ‘mi’, ‘kodong’, ‘toh’, bereslah sudah. Sampai suatu saat saya diminta untuk mematikan lampu... “ko bunuh mi tuh lampu.” Alamak, dibunuh pake apa?

Love is a Magical Thing

My friend, the collegegirl, once asked me to write something about “love”, “magical moments”, “there’s a heart inside”, “something romantic.” Saya bisanya cuma meringis nyinyir, “Haree genee masih seputar love dan sejenisnya? Valentine udah lewat boo..” Tapi tentu saja saya tidak sedemikian resenya menjawab permintaan sang collegegirl. Hanya bisa maklum kalau si collegegirl ini (agak) kelebihan hormon ABG nya.

So here I am, writing something about love. Tentunya dengan segala keterbatasan dan kenyinyiran saya terhadap subyek love itu sendiri.

Apa sih cinta itu ? Saya tidak punya definisi yang tepat, tapi sudah banyak orang hebat yang berhasil menggambarkan apa cinta itu ke dalam bentuk yang lebih grafik. Dari cerita klasik Romeo and Juliet, ke Broadway shows Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, sampai ke jaman vampire dengan Twillight saga nya. Semua berusaha menggambarkan cinta yang sejati, cinta yang rruarr biasa, cinta yang dahsyat. Saking dahsyatnya sampai salah satu pihak rela mati demi sang cinta. Tak bisa hidup tanpa sang kekasih pujaan hati. Sudah cukup romantis belum nih? Garis besarnya, cinta adalah perasaan menyayangi seseorang atau sesuatu yang sedemikian besarnya sehingga kita rela berkorban untuk orang atau sesuatu tadi. Cinta itu lebih besar dan lebih beharga dari diri kita sendiri. Kita rela menjadi selfless, tidak semuanya me,myself, and I. Kita rela kalau kepentingan kita ditaruh di urutan keseribu, dan kepentingan orang yang kita cintai itu ditaruh di barisan terdepan. Cinta kita kepada pasangan kita, kepada anak-anak kita, kepada orang tua kita, kepada keluarga, kepada teman baik kita adalah contoh selfless unconditional love. Tidak semua cerita cinta atau perasaan cinta mesti dibarengi dengan sengatan listrik 1000 watt yang menggelepar-gelepar. Itu dulu kali, pas masa remaja selagi hormon sedang tidak stabil dan saat kita sedang merasakan jatuh cinta untuk pertama kalinya. Seiring dengan berjalannya waktu, jatuh cinta mungkin tidak se-nggelepar-nggelepar dulu, tapi jangan sampai tidak ada sengatannya sama sekali. Cinta kalau sudah tidak ada sengatan listriknya sama saja dengan mati lampu, gelap gulita boo. Kadang-kadang, yang namanya manusia, sering terjebak dalam rutinitas yang itu-itu saja. Dan rutinitas itu bisa mempengaruhi rasa dan kesan cinta itu sendiri. Biasanya dampaknya menjadi lebih hambar.

Children Learn What They Live

This is one of my favourite poem of all time! Written by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.


Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.


If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Going away present

I just learned that one of my buddy is leaving Indonesia for good with her entire family. One of her kid is a friend of my son. My first reaction was (of course) bitchy. “NOOO!” “Not fair. Why didn"t you relocate to Magelang or Bandung? Why Europe?” “Who’s gonna do this and that for me?”

After all of those bitchiness and jealousy spread along on the table, I began to realize how happy I am for her and especially for her kids. This is a million dollar worth opportunity for them and for the kids’ future. She should go ahead and move forward. I will personally pack her inside a luggage if she hesitates even for one second. And yes, of course I will miss her. I will miss her kids. I will miss the comfortable zone I am in when she lives so close by to me. Who else could lend me batik, books, copy of school letters and homework? (my son is super careless at school, so both of us, me and my son, depend so much on her son for any school information). We can totally depend on her when it comes to food too. And nanny. And party. And (did I mention) school information?

I only know her for less than a year. However, she is sometimes the subject of my amusement and frustration. She is the type of person who is very kepo. Seksi sibuk, we call it. For her, sexy sibuk is more like it cos she is so-sexy in everything that she does. And I mean it in an adorable mocking way. She is also subject of my inspiration when writing about Women, like kita dan dugem, kita dan smoker (peace, dear).

What I think about "The Blind Side" movie

“What’s the buzz?” I thought. I flipped the box and read “based on the extraordinary true story.” I was skeptical. I always believe that Hollywood’s true story has different definition than the rest-of-the-world’s true story.
So, with a sniff of cynicism, I watched the movie alone in one clear afternoon. No other people, no distraction. Uninterrupted.

I ended up watching the movie 3 times.

This movie talked about many things. Love, hard work and commitment. Also chance, trust, and open mindedness.
Not everyone could do what Leigh Ann did. Not everyone could do what Michael Oher did.

What would you do when a chance presents itself in front of you? Would you grab it? Or would you ignore it?
Grabbing it is like accepting a box of present. The Blind Side told a story about what happened next after you intercepted a chance. After you accepted the gift. Chance needs a lot of work, commitment, and sacrifices. Anyone who thinks that a chance itself will work its magic without any hard work, is fooling himself/herself. Taking the chance without the will to work on it is like accepting the gift and storing your unwrapped present in the storage.
It’s a give and take situation. The family gave the boy a chance. The boy took that chance, and then together they worked on it to bring it to the next level. They walked through obstacles, they chased miracles, and they came out understanding each other better.

Chasing A Dream

Chasing a dream is a hard work. Sometimes it seems so far away that it makes us feel hopeless. Yet the other times, it seems so close that we can smell it and almost snatch it.

I've been chasing my dreams since forever. Some of them came true, some of them not yet... I keep on chasing my dreams, up and down the hills in my high heels, skinny jeans and carrying an oversized handbag. Gee, no wonder I can't reach some of mine.
I should've worn Crocs, short pants and carried a backpack.

Chasing a dream should reflect who I am, not the person I want everybody to see. I should make myself comfortable in chasing my dreams...and you should be too.

It's A Wonderful Christmas

It’s A Wonderful Christmas
Friday 11 December 2009

My son’s school has just celebrated a Christmas concert. In an event sponsored and choreographed by the parents, this Christmas celebration was open to all students and parents regardless of their race and religion.
In my lifetime experience as a Catholic, this was my first experience coming to a Christmas celebration attended by quite variety of audience. There was a lot of “first times” for me too. The committee of this Christmas party was consisted of not only Christian-Catholic parents, but also non Christian-Catholic. Their contribution in so many ways, were more than was expected. The children who participated in the dance, drama, and choir were also coming from not just Christian-Catholic students, but other religions as well. And to add to my surprises, all of the parents and the children who actively participated and sponsored this event were doing this out of voluntary basis. No pressure. Pure voluntary.
It is easy to just say “no”, it is easy to just say “oh it’s not my religion”, “it’s not my party”, and “it’s not my concern”.

The event was very successful. We saw in the audience that the non Christian-Catholic parents came bringing their entire family to this event. The children merrily blend in, all wearing the Santa’s hats and red shirts. We even had Moslem parents sing Christmas songs on the stage, as a gift to us who celebrate Christmas.