Yup. Sesuai dugaan, filmnya emang bikin sedih. Baru beberapa detik nonton aja udah mampu membuat mata ini berkaca-kaca. Pemandangan alam Belitong serta kondisi rakyat jelata yang hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan ditampilkan dengan apik. Film Laskar Pelangi ini emang beda. Beda dari bukunya, jelaslah, sesuai dengan yang dikatakan sang produser dan Andrea Hirata sendiri. Tapi keduanya sama-sama mampu memberikan warna tersendiri untuk menyentuh para penyimaknya. Aneh ya, saya baru mengenal tetralogi Andrea Hirata ini ketika masih berada di bumi Paman Sam. Saya justru membacanya dari 'Sang Pemimpi' dulu (makasih ya Mas Chozin... sorry baru saya kembalikan 2 minggu sebelum kepulangan, hehehehe). Dan memang isinya luar biasa inovatif, membangkitkna hasrat, harapan, serta keinginan untuk bercita-cita setinggi langit. Baru pas nanti kembali ke tanah air saya langsung menghabisi 2 karya lainnya; Laskar Pelangi dan Edensor. Pintar banget tuh si Andrea. Menjebak orang dengan kata-kata khas Melayunya di tambah pengalaman-pengalaman kocak yang penuh makna. Siapa yang tak terbius?Satu hal yang amat saya sadari, entah mengapa sepulang dari Amerika saya jadi lebih sensitif. Saya punya sense of care yang tidak selemah dulu. Mungkin karena hampir setahun saya tinggal di sana saya jadi ketularan penyakit sensitifitasnya host-mom dan teman-teman kecil saya yang sering ber 'oooh...' ketika mendengar sesuatu yang menyentuh hati, atau mengeluarkan puppy eyes dengan begitu cute-nya. Saya tambah peka dan jadi peduli ama sesama, bukannya cuek seperti dulu. Apalagi yang paling saya ingat adalah kata-kata host-abang saya di sana, Aaron; "People will know you not because you are smart or you are rich. They will recognize you from what have you done to others." Kata-kata itu tersimpan di dalam lubuk hati saya dan menggetarkan jiwa kecil yang sedang merangkak menuju kedewasaan ini.Lagu 'negri di atas awan' yang dinyanyikan oleh Katon Bagaskara sekaligus dulu pernah menjadi theme song dari acara pendidikan tahun 90-an 'Anak Seribu Pulau' telah saya baiatkan sebagai lagu yang mewakili sifat ke-sensitifitasan baru akan bangsa ini yang saya miliki. Pasalnya baru beberapa minggu menginjakkan kaki di Indonesia lagi, lagu tersebut mengumandang dengan indahnya di sekolah saya. Hati saya tiba-tiba saja terbawa oleh alunannya nan lembut serta paparan akan keindahan hidup di khatulistiwa. Dipadu dengan buku Laskar Pelangi serta filmnya, rasa sensitifitas saya mendorong pikiran, jiwa, dan cita untuk berbuat lebih banyak lagi bagi bangsa kita. I want to do more! "After watch that movie I felt like I wanna do something more and more to my country. I hope I could be a great people and bring this nation to face a bright future!" -Saya"I feel that already, from looong time ago! After watch that movie, i'm like... 'saya?' Usahaq gtulo, mau dibandingkan dengan mereka? Saya yang manja, males, dlldsb?" -Diantje, lewat sms"Menarilah dan terus tertawa walau dunia tak seindah surga berysukurlah pada Yang Kuasa, cinta kita di dunia..." -soundtrack Laskar Pelangi by Nidji"Kau mainkan untukku, sebuah lagu tentang negri di awan dimana kedamaian menjadi istananya, yang kini tengah kau bawa aku menuju ke sana..." -negri di atas awan
September 6, 2008 Ramadan 6, 1429 H Now it’s almost 3 months I’ve back to Indonesia after my AFS-YES exchange student year in United States. What do I feel? Honestly, I learn a lot from my experience and anything that I got back from 3 months ago. It’s not right, it’s not wrong, it’s just… different. When for the first time I came to the State, I felt like I am a newborn person or somebody who just woke up in the morning and when he turnaround; he find himself on the Martian Plain. It was really strange. Everything is new, people are different, and the weather changes (not like in Indonesia, which is tropical and only has dry and rainy seasons). I learned new culture, spoke with English every single time (even when I was dreaming or talk to myself inside my mind), ate various new foods, and of course, deal with the American high school’s life. As a newborn person or a human that just landed on the Martian Plain (that’s what I thought on my very own point of view), I decided to be an observer. Firstly, rather than talk a lot, I preferred to watch my new environment, the regulations that dominated the system, and also the local inhabitants. It was kinda difficult, because everything that is have a very specific distinction between my culture, belief, tradition, and norm and their culture, belief, tradition, and norm; sometime is really different. For the example, in Indonesia if you meet with somebody on your class, then you work together with him and talk to him, he could be considered as your friend. After that, you can continue the relationship outside the class; you can hang out with him, play soccer at his backyard or go to movie together. But in my American high school, even though you already talk with somebody in your class and work as a partner, you still be the stranger or at least he/she will recognize you as the classmate. And when you meet with him on the hallway, he/she could just walkthrough you without any smile or any ‘hi!’ . The individualistic culture that rooted in the society made me struggle. I was born with a strong belief in a mutual cooperation tradition, that you live in this world together with other people, so whoever is that you have to be nice and show your good intention. But really, after my first month I realized that it’s hard to smile! This example often happen; I walked on the hallway, meet with someone from my last period and we’ve been work together or at least I had asked her if she have a pencil that I could use (he/she saw me too), then because I thought that it would be nice if I greet and smile to that person, that people just ignored me and keep walking. No smile. No friendly attitude. That experience taught me a lot. I don’t want to be a nice kid after that, or smiling like a weird people to every single person that I’ve met before. That’s silly! That’s not cool, shame. Then I tried to adopt those people style; ignoring other, no smile, mind-your-own-business and pretend that I am the center of the world. Well, that’s don’t turn quite good to me. I felt that contradicted with my original norms and values, besides this attitude can’t stop you from stereotyping somebody. I decided to leave it. I belief every people are good, basically. The Americans are the most easy-going people in the world, like my host-family and some people outside the school. Maybe this behavior appear because that kids do not know yet about how it’s feel to be a stranger that travelled a halfway around the world or maybe this attitude is just a part of their un-matured mind. Well, they are high school kids like me and their hormones still pumped the stream of teenager’s egocentric. At the end I look back to my sentences at the beginning of the year; it’s not right, it’s not wrong, it’s just… different! But of course, you will always find nice people everywhere. I met with some wonderful friends, we made a friendship and they showed to me a pure intention and accepted whoever you are. They were the people who helped me to understand about how important is to understand each other, not to judge others by their appearance, and just enjoy the rhythm of your life. I really appreciated for every kindness that they gave to me and their friendly behavior. They didn’t realize it yet, but what they did to me someday in the future will bring the nations into what we call it as a world peace and become the bridge of cultural understanding. I won’t forget them. Someday I will make them proud because they’ve known me. And now, what did I learn from the social intercourse in United States? I learn a lot about how important is the role of family to built their children character. The social pattern at the high school life; freedom of choices, clichés, people that you choose to hang out with or people that you want to be as your close friend. I also aware of how teacher attitude in the class could effect the students. After all I enjoyed my year in USA. I hope someday I could get a second chance to do something similar to this. And when that time come, I would be prepare and ready to face another social phenomena. I belief a person could change the world, don’t you? You got the opportunity, friends!
