What have I learned in 2009?
Well, finally the end of year is here. I finally able to find some time to sit down and recollecting what I have learned in 2009.
Let’s see…
Lesson#1: Fresh Graduate Should Work instead of Waiting for their Dream Job
The first and most important is probably about the job. I remembered I kept my idealism and trying to find job that suited my talent and interest, but I ended jobless for 4 months. I finally work in a field that is (almost) unrelated to my study.
I was depressed for few months, I felt bit overwhelmed by amount of knowledge that is very alien to me, but thankfully I got a nice job environment. My working partner and my boss are tolerant enough to share their knowledge and I somehow learn a lot of things from my first job.
Let’s be realistic, fresh graduates are in lower position due abundance of workers. Most of vacancies these days looking for people with 2-3 years experience. Don’t be picky, everyone through the same experience.
Moral Lesson: Fresh graduate don’t have much options to find their dream job. Don’t be picky and just got the job unless you are okay being jobless for few months or years
Lesson#2:Religion: It’s all the same
Due lack of material for my urban-fantasy novel I researched a lot of Mesopotamian mythology, Gnostic Christianity, Hermetica, Kabbalah, and Jungian Psychology extensively for months. My research has led me to conclusion that every religion is really from same root, the Mesopotamian religions.
I found it’s sad that many ancient religions these days treated as myth, dead religions. Their gods are called “false gods”, “inferior”, and yet these accuser knew nothing about pagan wisdom. I have been long time taught that ancient religions were created by demon in advance to make people lost from their true faith.
What is real difference between religion and mythology anyway? What makes religion could classify the ancient religion as fable, myth, and dead knowledge?
These questions made me sympathize the pagan religions and there shouldn’t be any discriminatory of pagan religions in the modern day.
People in different regions manifest different representation of God, but they always have similarities and following certain archetypes. The people who believes in UFO often said they really saw UFO, while the skeptics do not. The people who believes in God or spiritual being receives spiritual experience and miracles. Perhaps it’s our mind that manifest the reality that we want to believe?
Moral Lesson: Maybe there is some kind of cosmic system that makes everything we believe will come true.
Lesson#3:Everyone in the internet might be… dog
This is perhaps the strangest experience in my life. Basically I befriended with a friend from internet for 2-3 years, we were quite close with each other, we often interacted, sharing discussion through messenger and facebook, it’s all sounds normal until some weeks ago I found out he never existed.
To put it short: I became a friend with fake profile, whose photos were taken from other people’s account. The maker of this fake profile introduced to me as “his friend”, it turns out “his friend” actually made “my friend”. Bizzarre eh?
Moral Lesson: Never be attached with someone you know from internet unless you have met them and know they really exist.
Lesson#4:Writing Novel in English is hard!
In November 2009, I participate in nanowrimo. The goal was to turn off your inner editor and try to write novel about anything, with or without plot with amount minimum of 50,000 words. We must approximately write 1667 words per day if want to reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. As you could guess, I failed, I only managed to write about 20,000 words by the end of November, and as I posted this, I only managed to write 35,000 words (with unedited nonsensical plot). X(
But I don’t want to give up. My biggest dream is to become English novelist. This is the first step of the long ordeal, If I give up now, it’s losing the war before the battle begin.
Moral Lesson: Never give up before entering the battle.
Lesson#5: Friendship is Priceless
After entering the office life. I found that I have less and less time to gather with my friends. Some still haven’t been graduated and struggling with their thesis, some occupied with their busy schedule of their daily life, some continue their study, but it’s all the same: the time can’t be reversed.
There is no longer possibility to gather or fooling around after finishing classes, or having lunch break together. These simple moments are the ones I missed so badly. Right jo? tri?
Moral Lesson: cherish your friends and your college life because you will miss them very badly
Lesson#6: Indo Identity
In 2009, I joined the facebook community of Dutch-Indonesian. I felt like finding the place I belong to. I began to spark interest to study the Indische culture for my own sake. It’s sad that many Indo 3rd generation these days no longer care about their culture and identity. When our ancestors passed away in next 50 years, the indische might only be remembered as history, unless the people do something to preserve our culture.
To be honest, I have never felt being Indische all in my life. My oma never changed her dutch family name, she spoke fluent dutch though she didn’t inherit it to her children. This all led confusion of identity throughout my life. As Chinese, I don’t speak Chinese, yet I looked Chinese. As Dutch, I don’t speak dutch, yes I know some dutch vocabularies and greetings, but mostly I don’t have really attachment with dutch. But as I interacted with people of similar background, I found that heritage and culture is more than look and appearances. We must conform it as put of our legacy and uniqueness.
If I couldn’t speak Chinese, I will learn Chinese, If I want to speak dutch, then just learn dutch. There is always time to reclaim your lost culture. People often say that culture and heritage are useless these days. They make only thing worse because they differentiate people according to their ethnicity and increasing discrimination.
There are people who lost their culture, living as 3rd culture children, and being pessimistic toward their culture. I hope I don’t end that way.
Moral Lesson: Heritage should be preserved so the next generations don’t have identity confusion
I guess it’s all I could think of. I wish to write longer but these days, I feel lack of spirit to blog and write. I hope I could experience and learn more things in 2010. 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for these who celebrates!
I knew by experience life isn’t necessarly a benevolent and good teacher. But obviously you are an excellent pupil.
Though I really hope ( and trust) the writer’s block will be ( very) shortlived and that you will be able to finish and publish your book in happy and successful 2010.
thank you for the kind comment Colson. unfortunately 2010 begin with my laptop broken all of sudden, with my data has not been backed up. I hope there is still some way to retrieve my novel data. *long sigh*
I’m a real person, kok, Kak.
Ah, novel berbahasa Inggris. Blushing. That’s also one of my biggest dreams of all time.
iya dewi, saya tahu.
good luck juga meraih impian menulis novel bahasa inggris!