Dalam beberapa minggu terakhir muncul hasil yang sebetulnya sedikit mengejutkanku, maksudku memang benar-benar sedikit, dalam arti tidak banyak, ketika UC Berkeley menerimaku sebagai visiting scholar di sana, yang disusul dengan penolakan sebuah pemberi beasiswa dimana aku mengincar pergi ke Inggris.

Aku hanya tersenyum simpul sebab hal ini hanya menunjukkan ke beberapa teman yang aku pernah bercerita  beberapa tahun silam bahwa aku selalu mendapat mimpi pergi ke U.S., dan mungkin saja ini saatnya, aku sendiri nggak pernah tahu, tapi yang jelas, kesempatan itu sudah tiba, tentu aku tidak akan tolak.

Anehnya pemberi beasiswa yang lain menolak rencanaku ke Inggris, sesuatu yang boleh dibilang kebetulan sehingga aku tidak perlu berpusing ria tentang inggris atau u.s. Cukup U.S.

Seperti yang kubilang tulisan ini tidak terlalu penting, dan buatku juga hanya menimbulkan sedikit pertanyaan tentang masa lalu, masa kini dan masa depan. Benarkah masa depan itu tidak pasti? Ataukah ia suatu kepastian yang disembunyikan dari jangkauan penglihatan manusia?

Aku sendiri tidak tahu jawabnya, hanya cukup aneh juga kalau aku melihat performa perusahaan tempatku bekerja dimana kedatangan seseorang membawa pengaruh yang sangat besar buat pertumbuhannya. Inipun aku tiba-tiba diberi suatu mimpi tentang orang itu ketika ia masih baru masuk di kantor kami. Aku sendiri hanya bicara pada bebrapa orang bahwa perusahaan kita akan lebih cepat tumbuh dgn kedatangan  orang tersebut, dan kini rasanya terobosannya memang manjur.

Sayangnya aku belum memperoleh mimpi lagi tentang orang tersebut, karena aku memang tidak pernah berharap menerima mimpi tersebut, cukuplah dia datang sendiri tanpa kuharap dan mudah2an mimpi itu mimpi yang baik.

Tentunya tanpa mimpi2 itu masa depan menjadi lebih menarik barangkali, terutama dyari segi dinamikanya, karena hasilnya tidak pernah kita tahu. Very unpredictable kan. Dan..inilah yang membuat manusia jadi berkembang, sebab ia pasti berusaha keras untuk berhasil tanpa tahu hasilnya akan berhasil. Inilah yang mendorong manusia percaya bahwa usaha akan membawa keberhasilan, mencapai sesuatu yang lebih baik dari sebelumnya.

Kalau saja masa depan itu sudah diperlihatkan kepada manusia, kehidupan tentu menjadi membosankan. Coba bayangkan kalau anda diperlihatkan menjadi seorang presiden padahal anda anak seorang pedagang kaki lima, tentu saja anda akan bermalas-malas sepanjang hidup, toh pada akhirnya anda akan jadi presiden.

Anda mungkin bisa jadi gila tapi tidak ada yang perduli anda gila kalau anda anak orang kaya, tapi diberi masa depan anda menjadi seorang pengemis. Lha kenapa orang lain harus peduli, lha wong masa depan sudah diperlihatkan? mau protes anda tetap jadi pengemis? mau bunuh diri? mungkin malah gagal dan anda tetap jadi pengemis?

Jadi? Inilah hidup sebelum tiba saatnya mati.

Berita utama Pos Kota hari Sabtu (10 Mei 2008) berjudul “5 Warga Bunuh Diri.” Isi berita mengungkapkan, ternyata dalam waktu yang hampir bersamaan, di tempat terpisah, ada lima warga Kabupaten Serang, Banten, yang ditemukan mati karena bunuh diri. Dua di antaranya karena masalah kesulitan ekonomi, bahkan ada yang spesifik menyebut karena rencana kenaikan harga BBM.

Dua warga itu adalah Jamaksari (32) dan Ma’mun (59). Jamaksari adalah warga Kampung Kemanisan RT 03/02, Desa Kebuyutan, Kecamatan Tirtayasa. Buruh tani, yang sering kerja serabutan ini, menggantung diri dengan tali plastik, yang diikat di dahan pohon petai, di kebun milik warga setempat.

Jamaksari tampaknya putus asa, karena tak mampu lagi mencukupi kebutuhan keluarganya. Sehari sebelumnya, korban sempat berkeluh kesah kepada para tetangga, bahwa ia sangat terpukul dengan rencana kenaikan harga BBM.

“Sekarang saja hidup saya susah, karena miskin. Apalagi nanti, kalau harga minyak dan bensin jadi naik, tambah susah lagi. Saya sudah tak tahan hidup, malu sama keluarga, pingin mati saja,” kata Jamaksari, seperti dituturkan para tetangganya.

Menurut para tetangga, Jamaksari, bapak dari tiga anak ini, juga bingung lantaran tak mampu mengembalikan gabah yang dipinjamnya. Ia tercatat punya utang gabah sebanyak tiga kuintal ke mushola, dan utang dua kuintal lagi ke tetangganya. Ditambah lagi, ada sejumlah utang lain, kepada warga kampung.

Dalam surat wasiat yang ditemukan di saku korban, Jamaksari berpesan (pada istrinya), “Neng, titip anak. Kakak sudah tidak tahan lagi. Inilah yang bisa saya titipkan. Jamak minta tobat. Ibu, semuanya, jangan menyalahkan siapa-siapa. Ini murni bunuh diri, nebus dosa. Salam untuk bapak, uwak, sekalian.”

Sementara itu, di tempat pemakaman umum, Kampung Ciembe, Desa Cibeureum, Kecamatan Maja, ditemukan satu korban lain yang bunuh diri dengan cara yang sama, yaitu gantung diri. Mayat Ma’mun ditemukan warga yang kebetulan melintas. Aksi nekad kakek dari lima cucu ini juga diduga kuat akibat himpitan ekonomi. Apalagi harga-harga kebutuhan pokok terus melambung.

Beberapa hari sebelum menggantung diri, Ma’mun yang bekerja sebagai petani sempat mengeluhkan harga-harga kebutuhan pokok yang terus melonjak. Sangat bisa dipahami, karena –menurut para tetangga– untuk makan sehari-hari saja, Ma’mun selama ini sering mengutang di warung.

Jamaksari dan Ma’mun hanyalah segelintir contoh dari jutaan rakyat Indonesia, yang akan terpukul keras oleh kenaikan harga BBM. Mereka mungkin tidak bisa paham, mengapa di negeri yang tanggal 20 Mei mendatang akan memperingati 100 Tahun Hari Kebangkitan Nasional ini masih ada (dan banyak) orang yang nafkah hidupnya sangat rawan. Sedikit gejolak ekonomi saja sudah bisa membuat kehidupan mereka dan keluarganya ambruk.

Para pemimpin bangsa harus sadar, setiap langkah dan kebijakan yang mereka ambil punya dampak besar, bahkan bisa sangat fatal, pada kehidupan rakyat. Saya tulis essay singkat ini, sekadar sebagai pengingat, bahwa masih ada jutaan Jamaksari dan Ma’mun lain beserta para keluarganya, yang nasibnya patut kita perhatikan benar-benar.

My prediction is that should there be fuel prices hike, the food prices will soar. If this happen, I fear about unrest and massive protests. I am tired of protests because I think that the government should not raise fuel prices this time. They should not do it this time because it is their duty to protect the people. If they couldn’t find ways to maintain the fuel prices stable, what is the use of the government for the people then?

The focus of my concern is not merely on fuel prices, but you could not hide the fact that when fuel prices are raised, sellers will raise their good, food prices even higher than the percentage of fuel prices.

Who is going to suffer? Not the rich definitely, but it will be the poor who suffer most.

For me, my problem due to fuel prices hike will be relatively the same as the poor because I am not among the rich although I am not poor either. But the point is that my purchasing power will be decreasing unless my firm raise my salary.

If you really raise the fuel prices this time Mr President, I think we really need a fresh, young man like Barrack Obama to lead this country.

So if Obama failed to win the U.S. presidential race late this year, he should consider leading Indonesia.

It would be an incredible match as both teams also competed to win the EPL title this year very tightly.

With only two matches left in the EPL, MU led the standing only with superior goal different as it tied with second placed Chelsea at 81 points.

So who is going to win the Champions League this year? If all MU first choice players could play such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Vidic and Rio Ferniand are able to play, I bet MU will win it. Not only the Champions League but also the EPL.

Manchester United won the home-and-home semifinal on 1-0 aggregate and will meet Chelsea or Liverpool in the final on May 21 at Moscow.

Chelsea hosts Liverpool on Wednesday after gaining a 1-1 tie at Anfield last week when Liverpool’s John Arne Riise accidentally headed the ball into his own net during the fifth minute of injury time.

The final will be just the third involving clubs from the same nation. Real Madrid defeated Valencia in 2000’s all-Spanish matchup and AC Milan beat Juventus in 2003’s all-Italian final.

Scholes beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes on a 25-yard shot after a giveaway by Gianluca Zambrotta to put Manchester United in its first Champions League final since 1999, when he missed the victory over Bayern Munich because of a suspension. It was just the second goal of the season for the 33-year-old midfielder, his first since Aug. 15 in a Premier League match against Portsmouth.

United, which also won the title in 1968, extended its home winning streak in Champions League play to 12 games. Barcelona, struggling in recent weeks, has been held scoreless in four straight matches in all competitions.

Manchester United also is closing in on its second straight Premier League title. With two matches left, it is tied with Chelsea at 81 points but ahead on goal difference.

Wayne Rooney was missing from Manchester United’s lineup after aggravating a hip injury during Saturday’s 2-1 league loss at Chelsea, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez up front.

In a physical game, Scholes knocked down Barcelona’s Lionel Messi just outside the penalty area in the first minute. But Messi’s ensuing free kick was blocked.

Barcelona, in an effort to find an elusive tying goal, brought on Thierry Henry in the 60th minute and 17-year-old Bojan Krkic in the 72nd. Henry had a good chance on a header off a corner kick, but it went directly to goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

However, over the past month, in April, when I regularly visited Mangga Dua, Ambassador Mall and Ratu Plaza in Jakarta, most of computer shops in those malls have displayed mini laptops in  their cabinets.

The 7-inch Asus’ Eee PC 710 series, the 7-inch Kohjinsha’s SA  Series and the 5.6-inch Fujitsu LifeBook U810 were mostly  displayed in the computer shops’ showcases.

The 11-inch Sony Vaio TZ150N was also there but the three mini laptops were much different because their prices were one-third or half cheaper than that of the Rp 20 million Vaio TZ150N.

Asus’ Eee PC710 series, for example, were sold between Rp 3.5  million (US$370) and 4.3 million depending on the size of the solid state disk.

It was a fair price although Asus Indonesia failed to meet its promise made in a computer expo last year that the Eee PC710 price will not exceed Rp 3.5 million.

Asus Indonesia marketing specialist Titi Kristiani said recently that the Eee PC710 display at many computer shops just reflected the growing demand for the mini laptop.

The Eee PC 710 sales in Indonesia had reached tens of thousands of units after its introduction in November last year, Titi said.

“The response here is positive and we are quite optimistic to sell more Eee PC710,” she said.

The strengths of the Eee PC 710 were its small size, its 0.92-kilogram weight and its low price, Titi said.

She is right. Besides, the Eee PC710 design is also quite stylish, although it is made from plastic. Its’ 4 Giga Byte (GB), possible to be upgraded to 16GB, SSD is also enough for basic applications such as word, power point, excel, and acrobat reader. A Wi-Fi connection is also included in the laptop.

Its weaknesses are the 800 x 480 resolution, forcing readers to  scroll right and left to read a folio-size story, and the Linux default, making it difficult to connect with 3G modem and compelling users to install Window to do so. DVD drive is also absent because of its low price.

If you expect a mini laptop to provide better specifications, perhaps Fujitsu LifeBook U810 would be a good choice, but its price is far more expensive, around Rp 9.3 million.

Its key features are Window default, 40GB hard drive, 1024 x 600 resolution, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 360 rotational view and touch screen technology, but its 5.6 inch screen might be just too small for many people.

Meanwhile, Kohjinsha SA series, with the same applications and features as Fujitsu LifeBook U810, could be bought at around Rp 7.9 million, but the brand is not yet well known here.

Kohjinsha SA1F00 WS offers a touch screen, 1024 x 600 resolution, wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and 100GB hard drive.

If Kohjinsha is still a bit too much for your budget, Asus has a novel answer. It has improved the weaknesses in Eee PC 710 by launching a 9-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution Eee PC in mid-April in Taipei, and planning to release it here in early June.

This is clearly an Asus’ response on a heating competition as Hewlett Packard, Intel, Dell, and local brand Zyrex will also introduce their mini low cost laptops in Indonesia.

Hewlett Packard Indonesia market development manager Martin Wibisono said in a recent interview his firm saw an increasing demand for mini low cost laptop.

“We will introduce our mini low cost laptop here in mid-May,” he said.

He did not describe the mini laptop, but www.cnet.com released a review about the new 9-inch HP 2133 mini note PC, saying its best assets were its unique keyboard, which manages to fit in full-size key, and its magnesium alloy chassis.

While the original HP2133 price is $499 for Linux version and $599 for Window version, mini laptop users here might have to spend $599 to buy a HP2133, Linux version.

Mini laptop is indeed looking for its lover here.

Can’t sleep well of course, because the news came from Berkeley. One of the most important question is how many Indonesians can study there?

If things go well, I will depart in August this year. The historical U.S. Presidential election where we are going to see either the first black president or the first woman president of the U.S., should not be missed.

This was not only a good news for me, but also a perfect present to the news organization where I worked. The more people study there or overseas, the better the news organization and the network.

I never imagined that I could go this far in life.  Perhaps if look back again, I should thank to the adversities I have dealt with because I feel growing when I am in difficult situation. Mastering the art of finding new solution is a must for a person who love difficulties and also challenges .

Let’s get cooking hehe.

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 04/22/2008 1:08 AM | Headlines

Tya Tri Utari, a tenth grader at Hang Tuah 1 High School, dropped her jaw when she was told that some of her favorite celebrities — Badmington shuttler Taufik Hidayat, film stars Dian Sastrowardoyo and Luna Maya — will be Olympic torch relay bearers at the Bung Karno sports complex on Tuesday.

Her smile faded quickly after hearing the catch: the teenager would not be allowed to see her idols, even though she is not a pro-Tibet or human rights activist, who have been deemed a major threat to the event. She is not a distinguished guest or invitee either.

“Is it possible to meet them? Can I just come to the venue to meet my idols? Why not?” she asked The Jakarta Post.

She is not alone. Most of the other nine million residents in the capital will not witness the first-ever stopover of the Olympic torch in the city as part of its worldwide tour.

The organizers said Monday that the flame, stored in lanterns, would arrive at Halim Perdanakusumah airport in East Jakarta at dawn from Kuala Lumpur. The flame would be taken and kept at the Sangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta.

In the afternoon, the Olympic flame is scheduled to be escorted to the torch relay venue at Bung Karno main stadium in Senayan, where only 5,000 invitees will attend the relay. Among those invitees were 1,000 Chinese students staying in the country and hundreds of representatives from sponsors of the Olympics.

“The event is closed to the public,” said organizing committee head Sumohadi Marsis.

Eighty figures, including Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, will take turns carrying the torch, which will encircle the stadium several times.

More than 2,500 police officers will be deployed to ensure maximum security during the event, aside from some personnel of the bomb squad and the Indonesian Intelligence Agency.

At least seven groups of protesters, including Falun Gong spiritual movement practitioners, pro-Tibet activists and Greenpeace Indonesia planned to stage a rally around Senayan, the organizers said.

The organizers also told Jakarta residents to avoid some roads around the sports complex, like Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Gerbang Pemuda and Jl. Asia Afrika, adding that they may reroute traffic during the event.

The relay was initially scheduled to follow a route through main thoroughfares in the city to attract spectators. However, the route was shortened following pressure from the Chinese Embassy. (nkn/ind)

Carlos Tevez scored the equalizer in the 90th minute to give a relief to the Red Devils manager Alex Ferguson.

Blackburn took the lead in the first half with a goal from Roger Santa Cruz.

Manchester United now leads the table with 81 points with three matches to go, followed by Chelsea with 78 points. The two will meet next Saturday at Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd v Arsenal
Venue: Old Trafford
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC Radio 5 Live, streamed on BBC website for UK users only. Coverage on BBC website, live on Sky Sports.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his side’s whole season now hinges on beating Manchester United on Sunday after their Champions League exit.

“It will be the greatest achievement of my career to win the Premier League now because we are swimming against the stream at the moment,” said Wenger.

“For us the game on Sunday is the game of the season. If we do not win this game we have no chance.

“We will fight until the last second of the championship.”

The Gunners are in third place, six points behind United and three adrift of Chelsea, who play Wigan Athletic on Monday.

“It depends on what happens on Sunday,” added the Arsenal boss.

“If we win then we can win the title and that’s what is important for us to focus on.

If we win on Sunday then realistically we can win the title Arsene Wenger

“What is at stake on Sunday is the work of a whole year. If we go there and don’t believe in ourselves then it is over.

“But do you really think that we will go to Manchester United thinking that our season is over? That would be ridiculous.”

Arsenal would close the gap on United to three points with a victory at Old Trafford, while Ferguson’s team would still have to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

“We have worked extremely hard since the first day of the season against all the odds,” said Wenger.

“We will fight until the last second of the championship, especially on Sunday. If we win on Sunday then realistically we can win the title.”

606: DEBATE

Arsenal have lost the likes of Abou Diaby, Denilson, Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie to injury this season.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes such setbacks have damaged Arsenal’s title bid, with the London club having won just one of their last seven Premier League fixtures.

“Arsenal have had injuries,” said Ferguson. “You can’t win games consistently without your best team.

“You just can’t do it, not at the level we’re at. You can’t get the best results without your best players.

“I think it is Arsenal’s injuries in the second half of the season that has made it difficult to rest players.”

Should United beat the Gunners on Sunday they will move nine points clear of Wenger’s men and all but ensure Arsenal’s season, which began so promisingly, ends trophyless.

Arsenal’s dreams of lifting the European Cup were dashed on Tuesday when they were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in a thrilling European encounter.

United defeated Roma to seal a place in the last four of the Champions League - but in their previous Premier League fixture they drew 2-2 at Middlesbrough, dropping two points.

We dropped two points last week and we need to win our games, it’s as simple as that Sir Alex Ferguson

“It’s hard to recover from these things,” said Ferguson of Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool.

“If we beat them, it makes it difficult for them, no question. It’s difficult anyway because they’re six points behind us and three points behind Chelsea.

“With five games to go there’s not a lot of leeway and they can’t afford to drop anything really.

“But we have got to look at ourselves and make sure we keep motoring.

“Every game is a must-win now. We dropped two points last week and we need to win our games, it’s as simple as that.”

But Ferguson is unhappy with the scheduling of the fixtures over the final weeks of the season.

Chelsea play Everton four days after Wigan - and Blues boss Avram Grant has already expressed his displeasure.

But Ferguson countered: “They’ve got a good rest for Monday and then three days later they’ve got Everton away and then they’ve got a five-day break before they play Liverpool (in the Champions League).

“Then they’ve got a four-day break before they play us in the league game. Our schedule is a bit more congested.”

United play Barcelona twice and Chelsea in the space of seven days.