Tsunami Story

Tsunami has changed many lifes, included mine.

Before Dec 24, 2004, I was a role model for geeks. Always touch keyboard and mouse almost for 15 hours a day, 7 days a weeks.

Without internet connection, after 3 days I would be mad and furious.

But then….

Now I touch computer less than 10 hours a day, and only six days a week. When outta town, I never touch computer. And I DO frequently outta town! (I am an IT Consultant, but volunteerly travel around….)

And for worst, most of my time on computer for answering email!

Gee, help me God.

I don’t know how I could become like this…..

Malam tahun baru, aku tidak bersama orang-orang yang kukasihi. Berada ditengah sebuah pesta, diantara Rotarians yang berbaik hati mengundang kami jauh-jauh dari Banda Aceh ke KL.

Setelah dari pagi menghadiri Conference Akbar, malam itu kami seluruh hadirin yang tergabung dalam organisasi raksasa yang mempunyai slogan SERVICE Above Self dilayani seperti raja dengan pelayanan hotel bintang lima. Mungkin setelah setahun penuh melayani masyarakat, tidak ada salahnya merasakan pelayanan juga. Toh, hanya setahun sekali?

(Hanya saja, keramahan tuan rumah, meriahnya acara, sedapnya hidangan, tak mampu mengusir ingatan bahwa kami baru saja memperingati 1 tahun bencana tsunami beberapa hari sebelumnya.)

Tapi seorang rotarian memang seharusnya filantropis sejati.

Saya menyadari sepenuhnya, ketika pada pidato terimakasih keesokan harinya, Governor Dr. Ken Khoo mengucapkan dengan tulus bahwa acara Conference tidak sukses TANPA kerja keras para pelayan hotel. Jadi suksesnya Conference merupakan suksesnya para pelayan. Untuk itu kami semua memberi applaus, yang saya yakin, semua melakukan dengan sungguh-sungguh.

Selamat buat Rotary International District 3300 dan Rotaract untuk konperensi yang sukses. Terimakasih dan sukse di tahun baru kepada Governor Dr. Ken Khoo dan First Lady Swan Sim, yang telah berbaik hati mengundang kami. Dan Terimakasih banyak untuk Dato Haji Mustapha Ma dan Datin H. Mariam yang dengan keihlasannya telah membantu kami. Juga untuk seluruh fellow rotarians dari RI D3300 yang membuat kami merasa di negeri sendiri. Selamat untuk rotaractors RI D3300 yang menunjukkan kualitas sebagai calon pemimpin di masa mendatang.

Selamat Tahun Baru.

Semoga Damai dan Tentram Abadi di Bumi. Amin

Yesterday, 1 year before, earthquake and tsunami hitted Aceh, Nias, Malaysia, Thailand, Srilanka, India, Maldives and Africa.

The most affected was Aceh.

And people from around the world came to help. And still come…..

I don’t wanna make comment on how they work, what they have done, etc, etc.

I just read local newspaper, and still found advertising looking for missing relatives (mostly children…..)

I saw President came and pray…..

I watched tv…

People in India mourning….. In Srilanka, they had a ceremony…. Their national flags on top and then went half at 10.30 pm….

In Thailand, looks like a festival for tourist…..

………………………

Just a question : why our flag in a full stage when every September 30 we made it half?

A hint : CELEBRATION or …………….

Just celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, the Day of Rebirth. Day of Forgiveness, Day for Winners who fight passion in Ramadan.

For some Acehnese, this Eid is a painful Festival of Winners. This is the first time they celebrate Eid without their beloved persons, whom lost in tsunami disaster. Visiting the mass cemetery, and make a pray hope if ones that they love buried there and now rest in peace in the arm of God.

Dark memories from the past, soul’s scar, tears in present, really,– can’t imagine.

Make me sad, knowing the people I know feel sad on the day that they should be happy. Some still live in tent or barrack, and some still advertise in newspaper, hoping somebody found their lost family.

I am not happy this Eid, even I have fast a full month.

Trust me. Peace.

Well, after ten months tsunami hits, there’s still a lot of GO and NGO in Aceh. You can find any kind of NGO here, some of them are special, but some just mediocre, or worst, notorious.

I tell you a secret. When I was young, my dream was to be a member of Greenpeace. And I really want to be on Rainbow Warrior (maybe as the anchor, ha ha). That dream is still remain, trust me.

And, there’s came Medicines Sans Frontieres. I was really, really admired their concept, because I believe we should live in one world, not three (thanks to The Police). One little tiny planet called Earth for all of us. No boundaries, no countries, no zealots, no maniacs, no nothing should separate us apart.

But, then I found many ‘Sans Frontiers’ here, in Aceh. Pharmaciens Sans Frontiers, Doctors Without Borders (hardly to tell if MSF and DWB have different meanings), Pompiers Sans Frontiers, Architects Without Borders, et cetera, et cetera. I met Payasos Sins Fronteras (Clowns Without Borders) from Spain, and I love them a lot. Hola Jordy, Alain, Honest, Isabel, Manu, and Suxi! ¿cuál está para arriba?

My friend Anne (une parisienne qui travaille pour Handicaps International) event told me that her father planned to founding ‘Retirements Without Borders’! What a bright idea!

So, I have a proposal for you geeks around the world: Who want to establish ‘Geeks Universal’? I don’t think ‘Without Borders’ is cool for now. Geeks don’t think about borders, even with’without’. Geeks (or nerds, or dweebs, whatever…) think about ‘the place that no one ever gone before…..’

And after you do it, count me in. I’ll pay any contribution that should pay (but less than US$ 50 annually. Hey, I’m not rich! I don’t have credit card!)

Make sure a member is original geek as can be. Don’t care he/she/it wears a black hat, white hat or without hat, as long he/she/it actually commit as a geek. (Quiz: Gates III is a geek or not?)

O.K. I’ll wait.

Posting kemaren pake bahasa Inggris, tapi sekarang bahasa Indonesia aja.
Yang mau kerja dengan NGO, harus perhatikan:

1. Markas Besar

Apa benar punya  kantor pusat? Cari data di internet. Kalau ada alamatnya telpon aja. Sedikit keluarin duit tapi jelas. Kalo diangkat langsung bilang : "NGO Anu office, Jane Doe speaking", itu berarti masih ada harapan kantornya bener ada. Langsung aja disconnect.

Tapi kalau terpaksa kamu duluan yang harus ngomong, jangan nanyain kalo itu kantor NGO WHATITSNAME, tapi pura-pura aja kalo lagi nyari toko obat! Kalau dia bilang "No, this NGO WHATITSNAME",  benerlah itu kantornya. Tapi kalo dia bilang lainnya, tuh NGO pasti palsu!

2. Perhatikan susunan pengurus

Kalo susunan pengurus lengkap (ada dewan pembina or pendiri, dewan direktur, pengurus harian, dll) kemungkinan itu NGO bener. Kalo nggak ada, itu pasti bo’ongan.

3. Expatriat yang pegang posisi penting.

Visanya apa? Social visa atau cuma Visa on Arrival? Kadang gembel dari sana datang kesini pura-pura jadi dermawan! Padahal cuma turis tsunami!

4. Sumber dana

Ada aja yang nyamar jadi dermawan, padahal kontraktor cari kerjaan!

‘Dah dulu, ah! Sebetulnya pingin bikin list NGO brengsek yang ada di Aceh pasca tsunami. Tapi ntar-ntar aja.

ikhwanul

After years, I comeback to Banda Aceh. Of course no applause or ceremony for that. My hometown now only ruin and debris. Empty space, bad odors, crowded in one area and hollow on the other side. Lost of friends. Emptyness.

But I see humanity, compassionate and kindness. And hope. People from all around the world come to help. It is amazing that through a disarter, humankind get a new meaning.

I wish that not just happened here, in Aceh. It must be a real spirit spread over universe, beyond selfness.

So, here I am, in Banda Aceh again. My point of view has changed. got new friends, renewed old ones. Event am still seeing corruptions, selfishness, unconcious, but my hope’s still there.

To whom may it concern, the tsunami victims still need more and more care. Need helps. Many IDP is still living in tent or barrack. Many orphans still need educations. Many widowers still needs money to make a living.

Please, help them with what you can give. Many NGO you can find to distribute your aid. But be carefull, a few NGO is not honest. They will steal your charity for their benefits. Make sure you get the good one.

Enough for this first post. See you in another time, another story.

CoolGeek.