Negeri morat marit ini, tanah airmu, Nak

Tanah airku Indonesia

Negeri elok amat kucinta

Tanah tumpah darahku yang mulia

Yang kupuja sepanjang masa

Tanah airku aman dan makmur

Pulau kelapa yang amat subur

Pulau melati pujaan bangsa

Sejak dulu kala

Melambai-lambai

Nyiur di pantai

Berbisik-bisik

Raja Klana

Memuja pulau

Nan indah permai

Tanah airku

Indonesia!

(Rayuan Pulau Kelapa, ciptaan Ismail Marzuki)

Itu salah satu lagu favorit bunda, Nak

Bunda senang menyanyikan lagu itu

Itu juga salah satu lagu yang dulu sering bunda nyanyikan

Untuk meninabobokan Kakak Tara

Sambil membayangkan Lembah Anai di tanah kelahiran nenek kalian

Atau hamparan pantai-pantai indah berpayung ratusan pohon kelapa

Atau hamparan sawah berbatas hutan

Tempat ayah kalian dulu menghabiskan masa kecilnya

Atau sungai berkilauan diterpa cahaya matahari sore di tengah kebun teh

Berkelok-kelok bagai kalung mutiara

Tempat bunda dan tante kalian bermain di akhir minggu di masa kecil dulu

Bunda tidak tahu, Nak

Apakah kelak saat kalian dewasa

Masih ada tempat-tempat seperti itu untuk kalian nikmati

Tapi tenang saja, Nak

Ayah bunda bertekat untuk terus menjelajah

Dan menyimpan setiap jejak dalam foto

Yang bisa kalian simpan dan lihat kelak

Habis bagaimana lagi, Nak

Ayah bunda bukan birokrat

Yang punya kuasa dan cukup uang

Untuk menahan tangan-tangan rakus

Yang selalu ingin memperkosa tempat-tempat indah di negeri ini

Dan mungkin, Nak

Saat kalian dewasa

Kalian akan bertanya

Apanya yang aman dan makmur?

Sementara ada begitu banyak anak jalanan

Tak terurus dilupakan negara

Banyak sekali orang miskin disana sini

Yang sakitpun tak boleh

Karena ke rumah sakit hanya akan bikin makin sakit

Belum lagi perampokan disana sini

Padahal katanya ini negeri yang subur dan makmur

Jadi harusnya masyarakatpun hidup nyaman

Morat marit memang, Nak

Seperti kain batik tulis indah yang tercabik disana sini

Bunda tidak tahu kenapa jadi begitu

Gara-gara salah urus, katanya

Gara-gara orang-orang yang cuma peduli

Pada kepentingan diri mereka sendiri

Mungkin saat kalian dewasa

Orang sudah lupa akan kasus-kasus menyakitkan hati

Yang menunjukkan betapa tak berdayanya kita

Menghadapi para tikus dan ular

Di setiap pojok ruang pemerintahan

Yang menggerogoti apa yang harusnya jadi milik rakyat

Atau jangan-jangan saat kalian dewasa

Akan ada kasus-kasus yang lebih heboh

Yang lebih menyakitkan hati

Nak, bunda tidak suka menjadi orang pesimis

Tapi kadang ada garis tipis antara pesimis dan realistis

Walaupun yang tipis-tipis itu bikin makin miris

Tapi mau bagaimana lagi, Nak

Rasanya makin lama makin jauh titik terang itu

Pesan bunda pada kalian hanya satu

Apapun yang kalian dengar dan lihat

Cobalah gunakan ‘rasa’

Cobalah tetap mencintai negeri ini

Walaupun satu saat

Mungkin sulit bagi kalian untuk menemukan keindahannya

Mungkin satu saat

Pemerkosaan hak azazi, hak alam untuk berkembang, dan hak-hak lainnya

Akan makin hebat

Tapi, Nak

Orang hanya bisa punya satu tanah air

Dan ini adalah tanah air kalian

Kalian boleh melangkah sejauh apapun kalian mau

Dan meninggalkan ayah bunda tua renta

Menyaksikan kebusukan-kebusukan negeri ini kelak

Jika sang penyelamat tak kunjung datang menyelamatkan keindahannya

Tapi ingatlah, Nak

Ini akar kalian

Dimana kalian lahir dan dibesarkan

Morat maritnya negeri ini

Bukan cermin Indonesia

Itu cuma cermin sekelompok orang-orang biadab

Yang meletakkan uang jadi Tuhan mereka

Mereka lupa, Nak

Bahwa Tuhan sudah menggariskan

Mereka jadi bagian dari tanah air ini

Mereka lupa

Untuk menghormati keputusan Tuhan

Dengan berbuat hal-hal yang baik untuk negeri ini

Janganlah kalian menjadi yang demikian

Nak

Ada pepatah, hujan emas di negeri orang, lebih baik hujan batu di negeri sendiri

Bunda tidak akan pernah meminta kalian mengikuti pepatah itu

Kalau kata orang Inggris, bullshit

Carilah kehidupan dimanapun kalian ingin

Kehidupan yang bisa membuat kalian punya sesuatu yang lebih

Tapi bukan untuk diri kalian sendiri

Berbuatlah, Nak

Kapanpun kalian berkelebihan

Bukan hanya materi, tapi setiap cuil diri kalian

Berbuatlah sebanyak kalian mampu

Untuk banyak orang yang terlupakan di negerimu

Raga kalian boleh jauh dari ranah Indonesia

Tapi jangan hati kalian

Mungkin kalian hanya akan bisa membantu 10

Dari jutaan orang yang tidak mampu membela diri mereka sendiri

Tapi ingatlah, Nak

Sekecil apapun yang bisa kalian lakukan

Artinya buat orang lain bisa lebih besar

Dari yang kalian bayangkan

Ingatlah, anak-anakku

Leluhur kalian berjuang untuk negeri ini

Kalian tidak kenal dengan mereka

Mereka tinggal cerita dan gundukan makam

Tapi, Nak

Mereka telah berkorban begitu banyak

Untuk memerdekakan tanah ini

Jadi apakah kita juga akan jadi orang yang mengkhianati

Pengorbanan mereka dengan menutup mata hati

Dari penderitaan orang-orang di sekitar kita?

Kita cuma bisa punya satu tanah air, Nak

Dan betapapun kacau balaunya

Inilah tanah air kalian

Cintailah, melalui mencintai sesama yang sedang dalam kesusahan

Hiburlah mereka, sebisa kalian

Dimanapun kalian kelak berada

(R I R I, dalam kegundahan Bunda mengingat akan jadi apa negeri ini saat kalian dewasa kelak. Cuma Allah yang tahu, dan cuma Allah jua tempat kita meminta yang terbaik. Dan Allah hanya ingin, kita tidak hanya mengingat Dia, tapi juga mengingat semua ciptaanNya, sebagai tanda bahwa kita bukan orang-orang yang lupa untuk apa kita diciptakan. Insya Allah...aamiiin)

An excellent customer experience has gone out of the window?, maybe for some... lucky not for all

Saya sering sekali baca keluhan-keluhan teman-teman di status fesbuk tentang buruknya layanan dari beberapa service provider, atau dari manufacturer. Atau juga bagaimana pengalaman teman-teman bersentuhan dengan merek-merek tertentu yang akhirnya membawa pada kekecewaan. Saya sendiri juga mengalaminya beberapa kali.

Dan beberapa kali pula ada komentar dari teman-teman ke status-status itu, yang kadang bunyinya adalah 'menyalahkan' mental orang Indonesia yang memang sudah kadung lalai terhadap kebutuhan orang lain. Tapi jujur, saya masih punya benefit of the doubt. Saya yakin pada dasarnya semua orang bisa memberikan yang terbaik selama disediakan lahan berlatih dan panduan yang baik dan ajeg untuk berperilaku sesuai dengan apa yang harus diusungnya.

Yang sering menggelitik saya juga adalah seberapa sering sebetulnya para pegawai di sebuah perusahaan mengetahui nilai dan visi dari merek yang mereka usung. Dan pendefinisian 'customer experience' itu sendiri. Saya tidak akan membahas definisi textbook, tapi secara sederhana, buat saya customer experience itu bukan hanya pada pelayanan. Tapi juga pada apa yang konsumen lihat, dengar, dan rasakan melalui indera taktil. In essence, the whole sensorial experience yang dialami konsumen.

Idealnya, perusahaan yang baik akan membuat setiap pegawainya memahami apa nilai dan visi dari mereknya. Seperti apakah pengalaman konsumen yang ingin diciptakan oleh si merek. Dan ini berarti, mulai dari cara berpakaian sampai misalnya cara membuang sampah (jika si merek ini mengaku peduli terhadap lingkungan, misalnya). Sayangnya, saya sering sekali melihat banyak merek yang abai dengan hal-hal ini. Dan buat saya itu tidak ada hubungannya dengan mentalitas. Itu erat sekali hubungannya dengan proses pelatihan dan pendalaman si pegawai terhadap nilai-nilai dari merek yang dia wakilkan.

Salah satu contoh saja. Saya dan beberapa teman pernah ke suatu restoran. Tampak depan, dekorasi interior, dan makanan yang disajikan semua sudah sesuai dengan visi merek mereka, yaitu menyajikan suasana tempo doeloe, termasuk masakan-masakan ala babah dan nyonya.

Tapi waktu kami sedang menunggu pesanan, kemudian ada yang sangat mengganggu suasana. Musik yang mereka perdengarkan adalah....lagu-lagu berirama house music. Bayangkan, itu adalah lunch time, dengan suasana tempo doeloe, dengan hidangan babah dan nyonya. Kami langsung berpandang-pandangan. Teman saya langsung berinisiatif memanggil salah satu pelayan dan meminta musiknya diganti. Tanpa suasana tempo doeloe saja musik seperti itu sudah sangat mengganggu untuk menemani orang makan, apalagi dalam konteks restoran tersebut. Musik penggantinya adalah slow pop music ala Kenny Rogers. Yah masih lumayanlah dibandingkan house music.

Selesai kami makan, si pelayan datang dengan tagihan dan membawa lembar isian untuk mendapatkan feedback dari kami sebagai pelanggan. Teman saya langsung bilang, "Makanannya enak, dekorasinya OK. Tapi aduh mbak, masa musiknya begitu sih. Harusnya keroncong kek, atau musik-musik lain yang lebih pas sama dekor dan makanannya". Si pelayan manggut-manggut. Saya belum pernah kembali ke restoran itu jadi saya tidak tahu apakah mereka sekarang mengganti musiknya.

Atau ada lagi pengalaman saya menggunakan jasa sebuah perusahaan online. The website looked very promising. Tapi kemudian saya sangat dikecewakan oleh produk yang mereka berikan. Pastinya, itu akan jadi pengalaman pertama dan terakhir saya menggunakan perusahaan yang sama.

Itu beberapa contoh saja yang bisa digolongkan kurang baik. Pasti teman-teman punya banyak contoh lainnya. Kelihatannya hal kecil. Lha wong cuma musik saja kok ribut. Atau ya resiko menggunakan pelayanan online adalah menerima produk yang tidak sesuai. Tapi rasanya dari hal-hal kecil itu pencitraan merek yang baik bisa dibangun, dan potensi bisnis bisa dikembangkan. Cuma sayangnya banyak hal-hal kecil itu justru diabaikan.

Tapi bukan berarti sebagian besar perusahaan mengabaikan hal-hal itu. Saya baru saja mengalami contoh kasus yang membuat saya merasa amat senang bersentuhan dengan beberapa merek.

Sepulang dari Cirebon kemarin, mobil kami mengalami masalah. Kebetulan kami sudah sekitar 20-30km keluar dari tol Cirebon menuju Ajibarang, Indramayu. Tidak ada satu bengkelpun di hadapan kami kecuali tempat-tempat tambal ban kecil, dan tentunya, sawah.

Cip menelepon orang yang dia kenal di dealer mobilnya. Intinya meminta pertolongan agar dikirimkan mobil pengganti sehingga kami bisa pulang ke Jakarta hari itu juga. Saya sendiri berinisiatif menelepon hotel Santika, tempat kami menginap di Cirebon, untuk menanyakan apakah mereka punya kontak dengan tempat penyewaan mobil. Kami memutuskan agar saya dan Tara pulang dengan mobil sewaan, sementara Cip menunggu bantuan dari dealer mobil yang kemungkinan besar akan makan waktu lebih lama.

Waktu saya telepon Santika, si operator bilang Front Office tidak bisa menerima telepon saya saat itu, dan operatornya sendiri tidak tahu nomer penyewaan mobil. Lalu yang dia lakukan adalah: meminta nomer telepon saya dan berjanji akan meminta Front Office menelepon saya kembali. Saya jujur saja agak skeptis akan ditelepon kembali. Tapi, ternyata within seconds, saya ditelepon kembali oleh pihak Santika. Mereka memberikan nomer telepon salah satu tempat penyewaan mobil yang biasa digunakan pihak hotel.

Mungkin bukan hal yang mengejutkan. Tapi pada saat menghadapai keadaan darurat, hal-hal kecil semacam itu menjadi sangat membekas. Saya sangat berterima kasih pada pihak Front Office Hotel Santika Cirebon yang di tengah kesibukannya (saya tahu hotel saat itu sedang penuh, dan banyak tamu yang check in ataupun check out bahkan pada saat kami keluar dari hotel), masih memiliki waktu untuk mengontak kembali 'bekas' tamunya.

Cip sendiri juga akhirnya dibantu oleh pihak dealer mobil, Tunas. Orang yang ditelepon Cip ada di Jakarta. Tapi dengan segala upayanya beliau mengontak pihak Tunas di Bandung, dan mereka mengirimkan mobil pengganti, sementara mobil yang kami gunakan mereka bawa ke Bandung untuk diperbaiki. Memang Cip harus menunggu cukup lama sampai mobil penggantinya datang. Tapi yang penting adalah kemauan mereka untuk membantu konsumennya, bahkan pada saat mereka tidak mempunyai support system yang cukup dekat dengan tempat kami mengalami masalah.

Ini hanya beberapa contoh kecil dimana saya yakin, para pegawainya diberikan pelatihan yang cukup baik tentang nilai-nilai apa yang harus saya usung. Kebetulan memang Hotel Santika adalah salah satu favorit keluarga kami. Karena di beberapa tempat yang pernah kami inapi, pengalaman yang mereka berikan sangat konsisten, baik dari segi keramahan maupun fasilitas yang mereka sediakan.

Di website mereka, tertera slogan: Everything we do comes from our heart. Sounds very cliche, tapi saya selalu merasakan hal itu setiap kali saya menginap di jaringan hotel ini. Dan di saat darurat kemarin, saya juga merasakan hal yang sama: ketulusan untuk membantu konsumen.

Dan mungkin ada teman-teman yang berpikir, ya pastilah Tunas akan membantu, karena mobil yang kami gunakan adalah mobil kantor. Dealer mobil mana yang akan mengambil resiko untuk berurusan dengan sebuah perusahaan besar jika mereka tidak memberikan pelayanan yang baik terhadap pegawai perusahaan itu. Jadi pasti keadaan apapun mereka akan bantu. Saya tidak tahu apakah itu benar karena kami tidak pernah mengalami masalah yang sama dengan mobil pribadi kami, jadi saya tidak punya perbandingan. Tapi yang jelas, ada keinginan dan usaha dari Tunas untuk membuat konsumen merasa tenang berkendara, apapun alasan mereka melakukannya.

Satu pelajaran penting dari contoh-contoh di atas adalah, seberapapun kecilnya tindakan, itu akan berdampak pada bagaimana konsumen mempersepsikan sebuah merek. Seperti kata peribahasa: rusak susu sebelanga karena nila setitik. Bagi kita yang bekerja pada sebuah perusahaan yang bersentuhan dengan konsumen, pertanyaannya adalah apakah kita akan menjadi 'nila', atau akan menjadi penjaga 'belanga susu' supaya tetap berkualitas baik?. Jawabannya terpulang pada kita, dan seberapa jauh kita mendalami nilai dan visi dari merek yang kita usung di bahu kita masing-masing.

Dan kita rasanya juga punya tanggung jawab, untuk memastikan para kolega kita memahami dengan ajeg apa arti nilai dan visi dari merek tempat kita bekerja. Pertanyaan lanjutannya: apakah teman-teman sudah merasa memahami nilai dan visi dari merek tempat teman-teman bekerja?. Silahkan diskusikan dengan rekan-rekan sekerja apabila rasanya pemahaman yang ajeg itu belum hadir dalam keseharian teman-teman bekerja. Supaya kita tidak menjadi 'nila'.

(R I R I)

Sepiring jajanan, dan sebungkah kenangan

Siapa sih yang nggak suka jajanan. Dan rasanya sih kalau orang Indonesia, harusnya suka ngemil. Saya sering sekali dengar komentar klien dari luar negeri, yang selalu bilang orang Indonesia itu suka sekali ya snacking!. Sampai saya berpikir harusnya mencirikan orang Indonesia itu dengan dua hal dong ya: murah senyum dan tidak berhenti mengunyah.

Biasanya tiap orang juga punya jajanan favorit.

Kalau saya, salah satu jajanan favorit saya adalah siomay.

Dulu waktu di SD, kalau saya punya uang jajan (yang sering sekali tidak terjadi), pasti saya beli siomay ala kadarnya. Saya tidak bisa menggambarkannya dengan tepat, pokoknya bentuknya bukan bulat-bulat, tapi pipih. Saya paling suka siomay tahu gorengnya. Dulu buat saya rasanya itu sudah enak sekali. Dan sekarang saya masih sering kangen dengan itu, tapi tidak tahu harus cari dimana.

Tukang siomay lain yang jadi favorit saya ada di tempat saya les menari Bali, di Gedung Wanita lama di Jalan Diponegoro. Kalau sedang beruntung, Mama akan membelikan sepiring siomay itu setelah selesai latihan menari. Wah, itu tob markotob, jauuuhhh kelasnya di atas si tukang siomay yang jualan di sekolah. Jadi, kalau dibelikan siomay itu, saya akan menikmatinya sampai piringnya licin tandas, bahkan bumbunya pun tak bersisa. Sayangnya, setelah les di tempat itu sekitar 4 atau 5 tahun, gedung itu dialihfungsikan menjadi gedung Pramuka, jadi sanggar kami terpaksa pindah tempat latihan. Dan saya kehilangan si tukang siomay top itu.

Tapi ternyata saya masih beruntung. Di tempat latihan kami yang baru, di Kuningan, ada tukang siomay lain yang tak kalah topnya. Dan karena waktu itu saya sudah SMP, sudah rutin punya uang jajan sendiri, saya sering sengaja menyisihkan uang di hari les menari hanya supaya saya bisa beli siomay itu. Kalau saya sedang beruntung berhasil merayu Papa, yang selalu menjemput saya, untuk membelikan saya siomay, biasanya santapan akan ditutup dengan Teh Botol. Dan kalau itu terjadi, wah rasanya…nikmaaatttt sekali (kombinasi kepuasan dari gratis alias uang jajan utuh, plus, bisa minum minuman yang waktu itu buat kantong saya harganya masih tergolong mahal).

Di rumah, saya juga punya tukang siomay langganan. Si abang selalu lewat menjelang maghrib. Jadi kalau sudah saat-saat itu, saya sering duduk di teras, sambil ngobrol dengan Papa yang menikmati teh sore dan rokoknya ,menunggu si tukang siomay. Dan saya selalu beli menu yang sama: 4 siomay, 1 tahu, 1 kentang.

Kadang semua orang di rumah akan beli. Kadang hanya saya dan Papa, atau saya dan kakak saya, atau saya dan Mama. Tapi sering sekali memang kami menghentikan si abang ini.

Saking seringnya saya beli siomay si abang, si abang ini sampai hafal. Kalau lewat di depan rumah saya, dia pasti berhenti agak lama dan membunyikan belnya kalau kebetulan saya sedang tidak di teras, sampai entah saya atau pembantu keluar, dan dia akan bertanya, “Beli siomay gak Neng?”. Dan seringnya sih, kami beli.

Si abang siomay itu juga yang pernah sangat akrab dengan mantan pacar saya di awal-awal masa kuliah. Teman SMA yang tidak pernah terlirik di masa sekolah tapi malah jadi pacar saat sama-sama sudah lulus.

Karena kebetulan si mantan ini juga doyan makan, kalau memang sedang di rumah di saat si abang lewat, pasti dia akan beli. Dan si abang sering menggoda dia, “Ini kesininya sering banget, buat ngapelin atau nungguin siomay saya Mas?”. GR banget si abang itu (tapi akhirnya saya tanyakan juga hal yang sama pada sang mantan…hehe..).

Lalu saya makin sibuk, makin sering tidak ada di rumah di saat si abang lewat. Dan tanpa disengaja, si abangpun terlupakan.

Saya jadi mengingat-ingat lagi semua itu gara-gara pertemuan tidak sengaja dengan si tukang siomay itu beberapa minggu yang lalu. Di suatu sore waktu saya dan kakak kelaparan dan tidak terlalu tertarik untuk makan nasi dan lauk pauknya.

Saya kaget juga waktu membuka pagar dan melihat abang yang sama ini. Tetap dengan gayanya yang sama: suara bel yang sama, model topi yang sama, keramahan yang sama dengan logat sundanya yang kental. Hanya sekarang sudah beruban dan tubuhnya lebih gemuk dibanding belasan (atau malah puluhan ya) tahun yang lalu. Dan saya, tetap dengan menu yang sama.

Kami bertukar sapa. Dia kaget melihat saya sudah punya anak yang tingginya hampir sama dengan ibunya padahal baru 6 tahun (duh…saya akan jadi kurcaci keluarga sebentar lagi…). Dan saya baru sadar sudah sekian lamanya kami tidak bersinggungan. Dan saat transaksi jual beli telah selesai, dan si abang keluar dari pagar, saya baru sadar kalau saya sebetulnya tidak tahu apa-apa tentang si tukang siomay itu. Terbersit sedikit rasa bersalah, karena saya tidak melihat dia sebagai individu yg utuh, yang bukan sekedar tukang siomay.

Untuk menebus rasa bersalah, saya pandangi dari balik pagar punggung si abang berlalu menggenjot sepedanya, dan mendoakan semoga dia dan keluarganya selalu diberkahi kebahagiaan dan keselamatan.

Gara-gara pertemuan itu juga saya jadi sadar, jajanan bukan cuma sekedar makanan pengisi perut. Ada banyak kenangan yang tercetak disitu. Entah kenangan masa kecil, masa pacaran, masa masih susah-susahnya punya uang terbatas, dan banyak lagi.

Tukang-tukang siomay itu cuma sebagian dari jajanan dan jejak kenangan saya. Daftarnya masih panjang.

Masih ada misalnya tukang nasi goreng di Jl. Birah, tempat saya dan Ciptadi makan setelah nonton Jiffest – kencan ‘beneran’ pertama kami. Sambil makan dan ngobrol ngalor ngidul kami lihat tikus seliweran dan malah ketawa-ketawa dan membayangkan daging di nasi kami adalah daging si tikus-tikus itu. Atau tukang soto di tempat jajan SMA, tempat saya dan salah satu sahabat saya yang paling karib sering makan sambil bertukar cerita saat kami menunggu waktunya praktikum. Atau tukang mie dog-dog (karena dia tidak berbunyi ‘tek-tek’), langganan ayah saya kalau beliau sedang insomnia, dan beliau selalu membangunkan saya dengan mengetuk-ngetuk kaca jendela kamar saya, menawarkan semangkuk mie rebus, padahal sudah tahu jam 12 malam atau 1 pagi saya tidak pernah ingin makan. Saya biasanya bangun karena tidak tega membayangkan beliau makan sendirian. Ada juga tukang martabak sekaligus kue bantal dan cakwe, yang selalu disambangi keluarga kami di malam minggu sejak saya SD sampai saya SMA.

Dan tukang-tukang jajanan itu masih disitu. Di tempat mereka yang sama. Atau masih melewati rumah dengan suara yang sama. Dan setiap kali melewati tempat-tempat itu, atau mendengar suara-suara khas itu, saya masih bisa mengingat jejak-jejak kenangan yang lekat bersamanya.

Tidak salah memang, kalau dibilang, kadang makanan yang bikin kita tidak bisa beranjak. Cip pernah tanya kenapa saya tidak pernah ingin bekerja di luar negeri.

Jawaban praktisnya tentu saja saya tidak tega meninggalkan ibu saya sendirian di Jakarta. Tapi ada hal lain: saya tidak bisa membayangkan jauh dari jajanan khas yang saya kenal sejak kecil. Alasan bodoh? Mungkin.

Tapi saya masih ingat beberapa malam di Melbourne saat saya dan teman-teman harus mengejar deadline tugas. Kami seringkali berkhayal ada tukang mie tek-tek, atau sate ayam, atau sate padang, sekoteng, bajigur, bakso, yang lewat. Bukan cuma buat mengusir lapar, tapi juga untuk berbagi dan melepas penat. Seru rasanya membayangkan mengerubungi si abang dan merepotkannya dengan berbagai pesanan kami. Dan tiap kali kami membayangkan itu, kami jadi nelangsa. Sangat terasa saat itu betapa hal-hal kecil itu, sebetulnya mengakar di diri.

Saya tidak bisa membayangkan Indonesia tanpa tukang-tukang jajanan itu. Saya tidak ingin negeri ini steril tanpa mereka. Mereka bagian yang tidak terpisahkan dari keseharian. Kalau mereka tidak ada, yang ada hanya restoran-restoran yang dingin dan impersonal, rasanya kok janggal. Mereka warna warni negeri ini juga, dengan gerobaknya, sepedanya, belnya. Mereka membuat banyak pemukiman menjadi lebih berjiwa.

Semoga saja tidak lebih banyak lagi di antara mereka punah, seperti tukang es lilin yang sampai sekarang saya masih kangeni karena bentuk gerobaknya yang unik seperti perahu, dan es lilin sederhana yang tidak pretensius dengan bercak-bercak tape ketan hitamnya...

(R I R I)

So...this is it....again....

The first time

6 years ago. 3 test packs.

3 test packs were what I needed to convince myself it really happened. Those long waits in the doctor's waiting room, those annoying comments from relatives, hundreds of pills that we both had to take, the months of negative test packs, those questions that lingered in our heads: when will it happen?, finally came to an end. At exactly the third test pack that got me stunned, alone, in my hotel room's bathroom. Not sure how long I sat by the bathtub looking at the three results that glared clearly to me: 1 with two lines, 2 with positive signs.

Only after the third one I called Cip up and told him the news. He was excited, I was shaking in tears of happiness. I was in Bali, he was in Hongkong. But that day distance did not matter at all for us.

And exactly 36 weeks after that magical day, we got a beautiful baby girl, Athena Shadra. Tara. The brightest light in the darkest night.



The second - a time filled with doubts, and coming out of it

After that, it took me a long time to convince myself that another child will do us good. I was scared. I did not think I could deal with another drama of pregnancy as what I went through when we were having Tara. Guilt, I guess, is the evil that can make you stop thinking rationally, and sometimes, can even make you forget that God will help, if you believe.

Even when we again started seeing the doctors 3 years ago, there was still a side in my heart that was unsure. Won't I make the same mistake?. Will it be OK?. Am I just going to create another heart break?. And all sorts of questions lingered in my head.

I guess God works in accordance with what we have in our hearts. When we are not sure, then how can God grant us what we want?. And a child is too precious a treasure to be given to someone who was unsure.

And so we seemed to waste 2 years out of those 3. 2 years of going back and forth to the doctor with doubts in my heart. Nothing happened.

Then in the past year it dawned on me that at the end of the day, God will help in His magical ways. We can never understand how. And I still can't control the outcome. Still, will I live a life of regret if I keep all these doubts instead of just believe in the Mighty out there to help me sort things out?. Not trying and not believing seem to be harder to do than keeping the guilt while not knowing what will happen.

And so I forced myself to come out of all the guilt, all that safety wrap that I've been keeping, and embrace the world of 'trying'. I thought, I would definitely fall in this time. But falling is not the end of the world. What matters was how I would get up, and try again.


The agony of waiting

And so after 4 failed insemination in the past year, and after I said to myself that I would never even think of IVF (in-vitro fertilization), 3 months ago I said OK let's just do IVF. Cip was unsure that I was in my right mind, I guess, when I told him that. He kept on asking me if I was sure about it. And I kept on saying YES I AM THIS TIME.

After Ramadhan was over, we started it. Or, I started it, to be exact. There was a lot of work to do ON ME rather than on Cip. So many tests, shots of various hormones and God knows what. And the big day came.

On 27th October, three embryos were transferred into my womb. How did I feel?. I don't know. Really, I don't know. Between hoping and not wanting to hope. It was an emotional roller coaster.

Then the two agonizing weeks of waiting for the result. Those weeks made me admired those who have done this process more than once (and we met a couple who has done it for five times!). There was no way of knowing if any of those embryos was going to plant itself in the womb.

And patience was never my strength. Those two weeks were probably the longest, most agonizing, wait in my life so far. I woke up every morning thinking is this it?. Are you OK in there?. Will you take me as a mother?. Will God trust me one more time?. And I got no answers.

I searched the web every single day looking for clues, signs, anything, that could ease the wait. And the more I searched, the more agony I felt. Sometimes, too much information can really kill you.

On the 10th day after the embryo transfer (or ET, they call it), I felt really terrible. My back was aching so much. I had terrible headache all morning. And I finished lots more toilet tissue than I ever did before as I went back and forth to the toilet. All the signs that I felt when I was pregnant with Tara.

So, I thought, a test pack wouldn't hurt. A blog that I read did say to stay away from these test packs in the 2 weeks waiting time. If it's negative, it may crush you. But at that time I thought, I've got nothing to lose except for my sanity. Either way, my sanity was lost a bit already from the wait and not knowing. And since lab test was not until the 13th day, I thought, why not. If I knew it was negative, at least before the lab test results came out I'd already know. If it was positive then I wouldn't need to get myself so worked up waiting for that day to come!.

In the morning of the 11th day, I checked. And, 2 lines appeared. Ever so softly. And yet, it was enough to light my day. Cip then suggested that we did it again the next day. I did. In the morning of the 12th day, two lines appeared with much more confidence. And that was enough to make us able to enjoy that day, which happened to be a Saturday.

On the 13th day, we got the lab result. Positive. We were thrilled. Tara was thrilled - even more than we were.


And now, another journey begins, another lesson learned...

It's only 4 weeks old. Very fragile. And all I can do now is to take care of myself so I can take care of it. But a feeling that overwhelmed me soonest I knew was that how much trust God still has in me. Even when I think I've done a mistake in the past (I still believe what happened in my first pregnancy was a part my fault for never wanting to really slow down), God still allows me to carry a life. A precious treasure, because you cannot just replace and buy a life.

I feel that God is trying to teach me something through all this: to try and believe. Doubts and guilt will only cripple you, and stop you from giving your best. We are meant to be stronger than what we think we are. And I think that's what God really wants me to know: that I am stronger than what I think I am. As long as I believe, that I am not alone, never alone, in doing everything I do and in going through everything that I have to go through.

So, thank you oh the Almighty. For again showing me the way and giving me a lesson. You really are the Greatest Teacher.


(R I R I)

Because we need you

One day, you may hear things like
You owe your parents your life
Without them, you cannot achieve anything
Without them, there is no one for you to run to

Parts of those are true
But you know what
Without you, we are also nothing
Without you, there is one less joy in this life

Every joy and laughter
Is for us to enjoy
Every heartbreak
Is ours to heal

When you do well
We feel good about ourselves
We think we have done well
We think we are doing a lot better than ourselves

So my child
You are in this world because we want you
So never ever let anyone tell you
That you owe us

We only owe this life to The One
You owe us nothing
We are only doing what we think we have to do
And how very little we know what we have to do

So if one day
You find out that we make a mistake
Don’t hide it from us
You are our teacher, too

We need you
To show us the way too
To walk with us side by side
And not behind us

Don’t let anyone tell you
That you are disrespectful to walk beside us
We want you to be that way
Only then, you can be a strong human being


Inspired from a small lunch time talk with someone who said, “It’s us who need the children”. So true, isn’t it?. If not then why some of us try every corner to have a child?, or have another one?.

And yet, how sometimes we forget that we owe our children for the joys and sorrows in this life. I always dislike those who say that he’s or she’s done a great deal for the children. I always believe it’s both ways. It is not easy for children to cope with us as parents, I’m sure. We think we do things for their sake, while sometimes we dismiss the fact that there are times we do things for our sake: pride, social status, and other things that make us feel good about ourselves. So without them, we cannot project ‘the better us’ to the outside world, can we?.

That small talk reminds me, that it is us who need them, maybe more than they need us. And may that reminder live forever, so we know when we do something for our children, we owe it to them to make it feels good for them too.


(R I R I)

Chloe – A Story of a Hidden Passion?

Watched the DVD of the movie last night.

It was a story of Catherine (Julianne Moore), a successful doctor, who begins to question her husband David's (Liam Neeson) fidelity. She sets out to resolve her suspicions with the help of an alluring young woman, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried). Soon caught in a web of sexual desire, Catherine finds herself on a journey that places her family in great danger.

Well…that was the brief synopsis of the movie written on the DVD’s cover. Turned out to be more interesting than that.

Turned out that Chloe who was a hooker, actually was attracted to Catherine instead of her husband. And she created stories to report to Catherine, about things that her husband did to her, just to make Catherine thought that her husband was really not loyal to her and would ask for a divorce. So all that Chloe did, was to get closer to Catherine and at the end, to own her.

I thought at first that Chloe was trying to seduce David to be with her. So it was quite a surprise when at one point, Chloe ended up seducing Catherine in a hotel room. The room which Chloe said was just used for her and David to sleep together. And yet, Catherine and Chloe ended up sleeping together, after Chloe seduced Catherine. Whoooaa!….really unexpected!.

Unfortunately though the basic idea was actually very interesting, and Amanda Seyfried played very well, but the story was not developed very well. It ended up quite too easily by Chloe getting killed at Catherine’s and David’s house, with not too much drama. Well, except for the fact that she got their teenage son to sleep with her, on the couple’s bed, and got her orgasm looking at Catherine’s shoes and dresses instead of looking at the son’s face…haha…poor guy.

And it was a pity that Catherine's sexual experience and its aftermath was not explored. It would be quite interesting actually to see her own dilemma. Surely that could have a great impact to a woman who's never had such experience.

Nevertheless, despite the too easy ending and the undeveloped plot, the movie did tickle me a little bit.

It was almost that this movie actually told us that there is actually a hidden passion inside everyone. I am being a little naughty here, yes. But think about it. If you are a woman, who considers yourself ‘straight’ by whatever standard, being seduced by another woman, what will you do?. Especially when you are in desperation to win your husband’s heart back. In desperation to get some romance back into your life. In desperation thinking that you will lose him forever to another woman. Would you give in to the seduction easily?.

Ah, just a naughty thought.

(R I R I)

Puzzles

I am not very good at assembling puzzles. Not when I was 5, and definitely not getting better now. I never really liked playing puzzles as a kid, either. To me the pieces of a puzzle seemed like a bunch of headache inviting stuff that I have to get away from.

But lately, I have been thinking of them. Puzzles of my life.

I wrote somewhere before, that I believe everything in this life happens for a reason. Sometimes, we don’t know what that is, until some time. And when we find that reason, we may or may not accept it. Or maybe we don’t even try to find a reason.

Off late, maybe because I’ve got too much time in my hand, or just a factor of getting older, I have been thinking of reasons for some things that happened in my life.

I think God wants to teach me continuously during the course of my life. I guess maybe God thinks I am not such a good student, so I was given a lot of tests. Testing my nerves, my patience, my will to get to something worthwhile, and sometimes I think, my reasoning power. That is, just to see how good my brain works and how much I want to exercise it. So a puzzle with many pieces was given to me. And the pieces were given one by one, giving me time to try finding a place to fit it into the whole. Not without difficulty, obviously.

If I look back, I don’t think I’ve experienced a lot of difficulties in this life. I pretty much went on OK all the time. Never had big dreams, and yet at the same time getting some things which I think, were extraordinary considering I never wanted nor tried to get them in the first place. My sister used to say that I was always the lucky one amongst the both of us, the one getting through life a lot easier. And come to think of it, I never felt the urge to try thinking why a certain thing happened, because I was just having fun with each piece. I thought it was an easy puzzle to solve. And maybe, without realizing, I began to take God’s game for granted.

That went on till I got married. And problems occurred when we tried to have a baby.

Never really understood then, why on earth did I have to face one problem after the other. And I tried finding a reason. Just to make peace with myself, and to avoid blaming things that I did not even understand. At least try not blaming anyone, or anything.

I think now I understand why it happened (or is happening again now). After having such a smooth time growing up and getting older, I should probably go through something more difficult. I should deal with a piece of puzzle with jagged edges, one that doesn’t really fit anywhere within that ‘easy’ puzzle that I have dealt with in the past. God’s just given me a tougher piece to deal with, because I have been so lazy.

It annoyed me, and right now I am really annoyed. Pissed off, even. Because I don’t like dealing with puzzles in the first place, and definitely not with a difficult one!.

But I’m not a quitter either. Well, at least I don’t think I am. A bitch when faced with challenges maybe, but not a quitter. So, I still search and search for a place where this puzzle will fit. In the process I may learn something, or not. Who cares. This time I just want to beat the challenge that God’s given on my plate. And to show that I am not giving up on God’s mercy and love. For if He (never like using a He to replace God, but saying God all the time sounds strange…anyway…) gives me this challenge, then I am sure He thinks (does He think?) that I am worth the challenge. And that’s like when I challenge Tara to solve a problem, out of love, so that she knows the feeling of victory.

Not sure what my whole puzzle will look like. I am sure God will continue giving me pieces to solve. This jagged piece has not found its place, yet. One thing I know now though, that I should never take this game for granted. For only by working on it, I know how blessed my life actually is. That even when this game draws tears at times, there will always be a place for the piece that has made me cry. And when I look at a particular corner, it just makes me realize that some pieces, really fit well together and they make my life, nice and meaningful.

(R I R I)

A bond that never breaks

It has become a habit for Tara to have someone read her a story before she sleeps. At night, sometimes, Cip and I try to get away from this task by telling her to ‘ask mommy’ or ‘ask daddy’ whenever Tara asks someone to read her a story. Usually, I do that out of sleepiness. I am the sleepy head amongst the three of us, while Cip and Tara seem to share the same ability: making their eyes wide open until odd hours.

Then one night, all three of us joked around in the bed as usual, until Tara got sleepy and finally asked for a story to be read. I said to her, “Ask your daddy, make him busy rather than busy with that laptop”. And she looked and me and said, “No I want you to read to me”. I asked her, “But why, daddy’s good in reading stories”. She said, “Because, you are my favourite, mommy”. And that was more than enough for me to jump and search for a book.

Many times I am unsure if she gives me compliments to get what she wants, or if she really means it. Most of the time, I never bother. But that night, somehow, I was touched. And I guess partly because I just finished reading the two series of ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’.


These books contain touching stories about how hard it is, actually, to be a teenager. And how the four friends, support one another through the thick and thin.

There is Lena, whose parents are Greek but she cannot speak a single word of Greek. She is described to be the most beautiful of the four. But she grows up feeling that many people like her because she is beautiful. That no one, especially boys, ever really looks her in the eyes and tries to understand her as a whole person. She becomes cautious and reserved in building a relationship with others. She does not trust anyone, apart from her three close friends.

Carmen, a half Hispanic. Who often feels that she is an outsider for her half Hispanic root. Her parents are divorced, but she maintains closeness to both. But that closeness tore her apart when her father’s decided to re-marry. She felt rejected, but did not really know what to do about her feelings. Luckily there were her friends to pull her through.

Tibby, who often feels that her parents provide a lot of things at home to bribe her. She was an only child until, nearly a teen, her mom gave birth to a sister and then a brother. She feels a stranger in her own home. And seeks refuge in her hobby – creating short movies with her iBook.

Bridget, or Bee. A girl who loves soccer and is very good at it. If Lena is beautiful overall, Bee has amazing hair that is always successful to turn boys’ heads to her direction. And on contrary to Lena who tends to hide behind her beauty, Bee flaunts it. She is a determined girl, including when she’s got an eye to a boy. She will do what she can to get what she wants.


I was immersed in these stories because to me parts of them reminded me of my own confusion as a teen. Especially when it comes to relating with my mother. The times when I felt angry at her for things that she would not explain. Things, that years later, she finally explained and then I knew why she did not do that when I was only 17.

My confusion for things that I could not tell my mother, especially when they were about boys!. How I just drew myself away from her when she told me I was too young to fall in love. And again years later I realized that she was right to tell me so.

Or the times when I could not understand why in a marriage, couples just drew apart. We never spoke about it. But then now I know why.

The Sisterhood series have told me about more things than just about friendship between four teenage girls. These books told me about a bond that never breaks – no matter how far one goes. They also told me about providing a space for my girl.

As a mother of a little girl, I am somehow reminded by these books that there will be a day when she will perhaps ‘slip through my fingers’. There will be times when I cannot reach her, no matter how much I want to. And reading these books, I somehow feel secure. It’s about letting her be free and find things for herself. I will not always be there to protect her heart, anyway. Or maybe, I will break her heart, too. Just like what I accused my mother did back then. But then again, I needed all that. And so will Tara one day.

And just like what I experienced when I was a teen, I hope Tara will also find great many friends. Not necessarily to have a ‘Sisterhood’ (I find this so American), but just some close friends with whom she can confide in. I had great friends who pulled me through (and a couple of dogs, too). Together we searched through many confusing things that were happening to us. And we survived them all. I hope Tara will have that too.


Then there was one morning, I was working and was suddenly reminded of an ABBA song in Mamma Mia that I really like. I searched the web, and found the lyrics….


Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time


Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(Slipping through my fingers all the time)
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why I just don't know

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile


(Slipping Thru My Fingers, ABBA)


I could feel my eyes swell when I read it. And when I searched YouTube to listen to it, Tara came to me and sang with me. She is also in love with Mamma Mia and all the songs. So together we just sat side by side, our heads together, and sang this song. At the end she looked at me and smiled. She doesn’t understand what this song means, not yet. But nevertheless, that moment I knew we have shared something. All the way to school she hummed this song. And I felt warm inside.


Ah my baby….you will slip through my fingers one day, just like I slipped through your grandma’s. But I know it’s YOUR journey someday, not mine. So I’ll collect as much as I can, till then.

And I hope one day you’ll read ‘The Sisterhood’ series and can find great adventures just like the four friends. At the same time may you find out that a bond of hearts, does not break easily. And that one day you also know that a mother makes stupid mistakes, only because she is afraid of losing her daughter.

Love you, my lil girl…

(RIRI)

Sendiri untuk Bersama

Kadang-kadang, Cip dan saya suka ngobrol remeh temeh tentang kami. Dan akhir-akhir ini, frekuensinya jadi agak sering. Karena kami sedih, prihatin, dan juga, ada sedikit rasa takut. Beberapa kali kami menerima kabar teman-teman terdekat kami mengalami kesulitan dengan perjalanan kebersamaan. Dan itu membuat saya dan Cip jadi suka ngobrol dan melihat ke dalam, apa kita ini sudah cukup solid?.

Salah satu pertanyaan yang dulu sering sekali ditanyakan oleh ibu saya di awal perkawinan kami adalah, mau jadi pasangan seperti apa sih kami ini. Satu pergi, satu ada di Jakarta. Kadang kami berselisih jalan di airport. Waktu itu belum ada Tara. Setelah ada Tara-pun, kami berdua masih sering terpisah jarak. Padahal, di awal perkawinan saja kami sudah terpisah selama setahun. Dan waktu Tara masih berupa janin 4 bulan, kami terpisah lagi selama hampir 5 bulan.

Lalu waktu Tara sudah berusia 3 tahun, kami bikin kesepakatan. Kami tidak akan mungkin bisa menghentikan desakan hati untuk menjelajah apa yang bisa kami jelajahi di bumi ini. Tapi tidak mungkin untuk selalu memboyong Tara ke semua tempat yang ingin kami jelajahi. Jadi, sepakatlah kami bahwa kalau ada waktu untuk salah satu di antara kami untuk pergi ke suatu tempat, pergi saja. Dan itu membuat baik saya maupun Cip beberapa kali traveling sendirian, dan bergantian sekaligus jadi ayah dan bunda untuk Tara selama beberapa waktu.

Beberapa kali saya, dan mungkin lebih sering Cip, ditanya oleh teman-teman kami. Kok bisa sih jalan sendiri-sendiri terus?. Iya ya, kok bisa ya?. Rasanya jawabannya cuma satu: kami memang sama-sama butuh ruang itu.

Saya pernah tanya pada Cip, ”Are you sure kita ini akan baik-baik saja dengan kebutuhan kita untuk punya ruang pribadi yang sedemikian besar?”. Dia cuma melihat saya dan bilang, ”Kalau kita nggak punya ruang pribadi, terus kita ini mau jadi apa?. Kamu ya kamu, aku ya aku, nggak akan pernah bisa jadi satu orang, ya kan?”.

Dan iya sih. Saya rasanya akan jengkel juga kalau Cip tidak mengizinkan saya sendirian sekali-sekali, dan sebaliknya. Kami berdua mungkin ketemu pada saat kami sudah demikian terbiasa dengan kesendirian, dan melakukan banyak hal sendiri. Jujur saja waktu kami memutuskan menikah, the idea of having to meet the same person day in day out, itu agak mengerikan buat saya. Jadi waktu kami menikah dengan penuh kesadaran bahwa 3 bulan sesudahnya Cip akan pergi ke Eropa untuk setahun, itu buat saya jadi semacam pembenaran, bahwa anyway saya memang tidak akan pernah bisa menjalani 4L: Loe Lagi Loe Lagi.

Dan karena kami sering terpisah, baik karena pekerjaan ataupun desakan hati untuk bertualang, saya malah jadi makin menikmati pada saat kami bersama. Detik saya membuat tulisan ini, Cip ada di hadapan saya. Dengan muka tertekuk mengerjakan PR dari bos barunya. Tapi saya menikmatinya. The fact that he’s there, is more than enough. Rasanya mungkin kalau kami ketemu terus setiap hari, saya tidak akan pernah bisa menikmati detik-detik sederhana dari sekedar keberadaan fisiknya. Dari sekedar melihat kernyitan dahinya yang semakin banyak seiring matanya menatap nanar layar laptop. Dari sekedar mendengar helaan nafasnya. Dari sekedar membatin melihat kebiasaan buruknya minum es pada jam berapapun. Hal-hal remeh-temeh yang, saat dia tidak ada, saya kangeni.


Semalam, kami ngobrol lagi tentang kami. Dan dia bilang sesuatu yang buat saya, was very true, sekaligus juga membuat saya jadi amat mengerti kenapa dia tidak pernah keberatan walaupun kadang ditinggal sendirian.

Dia menggambarkan perasaannya waktu minggu lalu saya tinggal ke Singapura, ”Aku seneng bisa nikmatin kesendirian, seneng karena bisa pulang jam berapapun tanpa tahu ada yang nungguin. Tapi yang paling penting, aku tahu aku punya tempat pulang, aku nggak sendirian ngejalanin hidup. Ada kamu dan Tara walaupun waktu itu secara fisik kalian nggak ada”.

Kebersamaan memang harus diresapi, dirasakan di hati. Dan bukan melulu dianggap sebagai cara menjalani kehidupan fisik, yang akhirnya mungkin membuat kita jadi take things for granted. Cara kami menjalaninya, adalah dengan berpisah sekali-sekali. Karena keterpisahan membuat kami sadar, bahwa kami memang saling membutuhkan. Dan sejauh apapun kami berjalan, baik saya dan Cip akan pulang kepada ’kami’. Lalu berharap, apa yang dibawa dari berkelana sendiri itu, akan mengayakan perjalanan batin sebagai ’kami’.

Mari meresapi kebersamaan, bagaimanapun caranya.

Cip di Vietnam, Desember 2009. Saya biarkan dia bertualang sendirian, karena hanya dengan cara itu saya bisa mengenal Ciptadi secara utuh...

(RIRI)

Books to Treasure

I just finished immersing myself in a series of books which I think, are worth to keep for the next generation to read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society. So imaginative, and has captivating plots. A rich story about friendship, working together, and coping to live with others though sometimes they can be annoying.

I love each of the main characters:

• Reynard 'Reynie' Muldoon. An orphan who is good at practical problem solving. Very observant, can read between the lines. Often looked at by his friends for his ability to make the complicated, simple.
• George Washington, or Sticky. A fast reader, reads everything, and everything that he reads, sticks in his mind. Hence the nickname. He knows everything that's in every written material. He has photographic memory. But different from Reynie who is very calm, Sticky is a nervous boy. Polishing his glasses when he is nervous is his habit.
• Kate Wetherall. Very resourceful, athletic teen. She carries a bucket filled with all sorts of things - from a Swiss army knife to a bag of marbles. She is fearless, and will fight with anyone who is trying to harm her or her friends
• Constance Contraire. A two years old with such intelligence. She also has a psychic mind - able to detect things before they happen. But being a two year old, she is also stubborn, and sometimes projects herself as someone who lacks manners.

These four geniuses met in the Mysterious Benedict Society - formed by a Mr. Nicholas Benedict, or Mr. Benedict. They passed several tests (described meticulously in the first book) that Mr. Benedict developed to screen those who could be part of this group. One of the questions that I really loved in that test was: Do you enjoy watching TV? (or something in that relation, I forgot what the actual question was). And these four kids’ answer was NO. Oh how I adored that part!. To me it’s a support to my belief that kids who enjoy doing other things more than watching TV, will have a lot more in their heads.

Mr. Benedict himself is a brilliant thinker. But he is not only a genius; he is also compassionate, and eager to teach the kids about how to live this life with a heart and not just with a brain.

The society was formed to fight a Ledrophta Curtain, who was actually Mr. Benedict’s twin brother who was separated at birth.

In the first book, Mr. Curtain wanted to rule the world by erasing everyone’s memory with a machine called The Whisperer. And so the four kids, with Mr. Benedict, his two assistants and a secret agent named Milligan (who later was found to be Kate’s father), had to put up quite a strategy and real fights to abort Mr. Curtain’s evil scheme.

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I have finished reading the second book, which was as captivating as the first one. These books are filled with interesting riddles, and puzzles, and cute little dramas of the kids when they got on each other’s nerves. Especially when Constance threw some of her not-so-great moods, being a toddler. The dynamic between the four personalities, as well as between the kids and the adults around them, is so touching as well as it is mind-opening. How the adults treat each kid with respect – when sometimes kids are ‘seen but not heard’. How Mr. Benedict always tries to tell the kids a lesson or two about life, and about people, when they are confused and scared.

I really recommend this series to be kept ready in your bookshelf. If your kids love adventure, I am sure they will love them.

If they don’t, or you havent' got kids, well, you will still be able to enjoy it. It’s a dreamland that we have forgotten to immerse in thanks to our duties. To me it’s a reminder to step back and just let my mind wander off. To remember what I felt when I pretended to be a pirate when I was a child. It’s simply delightful.

the second book - reunion after a year of the first adventure, that led the kids to yet another adventure

I have not read this third book, but am sure it will be as captivating as the first two books...