A Place Called Home.

Few second after Etihad landed to Heathrow, I realised that I finally found my home. Yes. But it's not London. It's Jakarta. It's my 5th time stepping in this country for the past 12 months. The last time was mid September 2011 after my trip to Sweden, and I went out again around Europe on early November 2011 before finally arrived in Bangkok, stay there for 3 days, and moved to Jakarta. What a crazy life. I know. But the utmost life changing experience was actually between December to February 2012 in Jakarta. It's the moment where I found the value of life. Not just because I can finally contribute something to others, but the acceptance of the local society, how they appreciate talents, and also never ending possibilities in professional life.

The fact in how great is your own hometown make me realise that it takes thousand miles away to getting this kind of consciousness. If I live with my curiosity and not having a gut to get my Master degree in London, I probably wouldn't be able to understand this whole thing. You never know if you never try.

I think after this April, I'm just gonna focus on my career in Jakarta. It's the best job ever anyway. The dream job! Settle down, buy an apartment at the end of the year. Travel somewhere near, probably HongKong or Vietnam, or Samui. Maybe hire personal trainer to get more discipline in shaping out my flabby love handle. It's time to take off my adventure badge. But till April '12, I'm just going to enjoy London, submit my final research, wandering around Amsterdam and Paris and finally facing the real challenge and get down to the business.

It's a good life.

Where to Live

I've been wandering around Asia this last 4 years, I haven't found the right place that I would love to call home. Singapore it's too humid, while Bangkok can be very hot and I can't understand their nasal language, Hong Kong it's too crowded, and yes my city Jakarta, is packed with motorbike, and polluted air.

I should probably find other place beside Asia. Melbourne seems like a great option. While Sydney is too rough for me. And Auckland is too Korean. Seriously, get yourself to the city centre and you find yourself surrounded by countless Korean and Mainland Chinese with their tofu jacket. Even though Davenport is a very comforting to live.

However, finding a job to move to other cities outside Asia is not easy. One of the way is to get a Master degree in one of the big cities in the world and try to apply working Visa or post work study. Hmmm.. how about Europe?

Life in Autopilot

Just this morning I realized that I've been driving my life in autopilot. On my way to the office, I should have taken the fastest way since there was no more 3 in one instead of taking my usual way with all the traffic and crazy buses. It's funny coz I only realized it half way to office. I knew something wrong was happening to me. That was not the first time.

I used to be the guy with a lot of guts and had no fear in doing different things in my life. I didn't mind traveling with strangers. I was not afraid of wandering alone in a city where I knew no one. I can say "I want to resign today" without making any sense at all. I even go fishing! Now, those things would not happen spontaneously. Even if I want to take the chance, there are so many considerations. Work that I can't leave, partner to worry about, car, dog, wet ceiling, plant to shower, and so on, and so on.

Maybe, I'm trap in my own web so called comfort zone. The ironic thing is my thoughts about comfort zone really happen to myself. Am I losing my freedom? The word of freedom is not as simple as it used to be. Now life brings so many responsibilities much much more than it had. Sometimes, it's okay to press autopilot button, but I hope the pilot will still be able to control his airplane before same things happen to adam air.

Life is Waiting

I'm waiting for my paycheque. Monthly paycheque. While waiting for it, I put myself in difficult situation, doing something that I don't like anymore. Oh yeah this job is so irritating. The initial brief from Account people is so exciting, but doing it, getting through thousand revisions and till finally you see your work (that is not 100% original anymore) at the news paper, next day, is so painful.

I'm sure there are another stories that wait for me outside this building. Story of one man who try to strive in big cities, chasing never ending possibilities, doing what he likes and finally settle down, or maybe not. Or maybe, at the end of the day, end up in this kind of situation. Again.

I don't know. But it's worth to try. Otherwise I would not know. But I know for sure, Life is Waiting out there. Cheers, I'm preparing my resignation letter now.

Comfort Zone

Nggak terhitung banyaknya jumlah job hoppers di Jakarta. Pindah dari satu agency ke agency lain, dari bank satu ke bank lain, atau dari lokalisasi satu ke lokalisasi lainnya.. Banyak. Sebenarnya apa yang dicari para job hopper tadi? Tawaran gaji yang naik terus setiap mereka pindah? Atau benefit-benefit lain seperti insurance yang unlimited atau bahkan housing loan? Atau outing ke luar setiap tahun? Apa semua pekerjaan itu harus dihitung dari jumlah angka-angka tadi?

Mungkin nggak semua orang berpikir seperti yang tadi. Sebagian job hoppers ada yang bener-bener pure ngerasa bosan dengan tempat kerja lama mereka. Alasannya bosannya macem-macem. Ada yang berpangkal dari kerjaan yang nggak challenging, itu-itu aja setiap hari. Ada juga yang ngerasa suasana kantornya bikin mereka 'tumpul'. Bahkan ada juga yang beralasan tempat makannya itu-itu aja.

Hal bagus dari seringnya pindah kantor, jenjang karir pasti lebih cepat. Iya dong. Mana ada orang yang pindah kantor untuk di posisikan di jabatan yang lebih rendah kecuali kalau soal gaji. Dan positifnya banyak hal baru yang challenging. Banyak hal baru yang bisa di pelajari juga. Tapi kredibiltas dan loyalitas para job hoppers perlu dipertanyakan. Apa sebab dia keluar dari perusahaan tempat dia bekerja sebelumnya. Kalau ternyata memang pattern, wah bisa-bisa hrd kantor kerepotan, 6 bulan setelah dia masuk mesti siap-siap cari pengganti. Yang ini malah bikin repot orang-orang.

Dan lain lagi kasusnya dengan orang-orang yang bertahan stay di suatu kantor untuk jangka waktu yang belasan tahun. Mereka ngelakuin hal yang sama setiap hari, duduk di tempat yang sama setiap hari dan ngerasa nyaman banget dengan kondisi mereka. Mereka tipe orang-orang yang cari aman. Cari aman dari kondisi di luar kantor yang sebenarnya susah untuk cari kerjaan baru. Cari aman dari kebijakan kantor lain yang mungkin punya kebijakan yang beda. Kalau dilihat dari kualitas orang-orang kayak gini, orang yang gak merasa dirinya tertantang untuk ngelakuin hal-hal baru berarti mereka orang yang nggak mau belajar. Dan seumur hidup, mereka akan bertahan dengan kualitas yang sama. Jadi orang yang terlalu nyaman dengan comfort zone nya adalah mereka yang mediocre. Mereka yang nggak mau maju. Bukan berarti salah juga sih orang yang seperti ini. Untuk urusan kantor yang dari tahun ke tahun ini aja sih mereka adalah orang yang tepat. Tapi untuk perusahaan yang ingin maju dimana setiap bagiannya orang-orang kayak gini yang jadi penghambat. Dan nggak ada jenjang karir untuk mereka.

Kenapa nggak kita, yang walaupun punya comfort zone sendiri, coba keluar sebentar dari comfort zone tadi. Coba hal baru. Lakuin project luar kantor (kalau seandainya urusan kantor yang bikin bosan). Renovasi rumah. Travel! Kalau nggak libatin diri dengan project-project sosial atau ikut quiz, di internet, tv, radio kek... Atau kalau mau gila lagi. Resign dari kantor! Well yang terakhir nggak di recommend kalau belom pasti sih.

Ada baiknya juga punya comfort zone, tapi sesekali keluar dari lingkaran nyaman ini juga perlu. Untuk tahu kualitas diri kita. Dan harus tahu jalan pulang balik nya.