15 Things I Did In My 15th Year

The 15th year of my life has been a very interesting and life-changing one filled with a lot of very high ups and very low downs. I must say, it has been one of the best years of my life so far (but I dare not say best yet). However, I must say though, if AYC 2010 happened after my 14th birthday, or even on my birthday instead of just before it, I think I would have labeled this year the best one. So, I've chosen the 15 things which I feel were the best things I have done or achieved from the day I turned 14 to the day I turned 15. So, in chronological order, here it goes...

1. Gold Medal in Mathematics Division at the Indonesian Young Scientist Competition 2010 (InaYS 2010) in Bandung, Indonesia together with my dear Science Club partner Toby.

2. Organizing the ASEAN & Youth Empowerment Day event for the entire Junior High Unit of Santa Laurensia School. It was like bullying the entire school for a whole day!

3. Published the VieR School Magazine with the team under my leadership (=D)!

4. On top of number 3, my Cerpen (Short Story) in Bahasa Indonesia was chosen to be published in VieR!

5. I was awarded the scholarship in Singapore! (See previous posts)

6. I endured my first surgery which was to remove my appendix.

7. I hit the American continent for the first time in Houston, Texas, USA after taking the longest flight of my life (16.5 hours from Dubai to Houston)

8. Bronze Medal in the Energy Category for the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP) 2011 in Houston, Texas, USA! Met with people from 70 different countries.

9. I climbed up the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, and second tallest building, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.

10. I braved the Leap Of Faith water slide in Aquaventure at the Atlantis Resort on The Palm in Dubai, UAE. An almost vertical drop that catapults through a Shark Lagoon.

11. Passed my UAN (National Exams) with unbelievable results (both in good and bad ways)!

12. I had the opportunity to meet and work with many students from the 16th cohort of Santa Laurensia Junior High School and we inspired each other!

13. Junior High School Graduation. Graduated in a toga for the first time!

14. The Most Proactive Student Award at Graduation! Unexpected but at the same time very expected!

15. First time hang out with a Laurensian, and the hang out was in the form of a Productive Hang-out (LOL).

So there you go, 15 things I did in the past year that I will always remember for the rest of my life. I know some may find my life a bit boring, but hey, some of these are really big things for me!

There Is No Hiding A Birthday From A Laurensian

First of all, for those of you who I told that my birthday is on 29 February, which means that my birthday comes only once in four years, and believed it, you fell for my trick. My birthday was indeed a few days ago.

It has become a bit of our tradition that we would have a meeting, or a productive hang-out as we like to call it sometimes, the second weekend after the return of a GYCi Delegation. So we did have our AYC + GYF + AYC Productive Hang-out, which happened to fall on my birthday...

I have never really liked celebrating birthdays, especially with other people. To me, a birthday is just like ending the financial year where you count all your profits and losses. I treat my birthdays as a time to review what went wrong, what I could have done that I didn't do and all the things that went well. To me, it's more of a personal time.

Therefore, with the objective of making sure that the meeting was focused to productive stuff and not my birthday. So I decided not to tell anyone that the event would fall on my birthday and for those who insisted days before the event that I treat everyone to lunch, I came up with the silly scheme about my birthday being on 29 February.

But unfortunately, that morning, I was awoken to a text greeting me "Happy Birthday". Somehow, the whole world found out and denied all information that it was not my birthday. So, when I got to Living World (it's a mall in Alam Sutera Complex where my ex school is), the whole Laurensian WORLD that was there seemed to know what day it was. I had so many Laurensians who I don't know the names of come up to me and give me a signature AYC hug (nothing really signature about it really, just a hug). Text messages also kept pouring in till my phone hanged (no kidding). Including the most shocking yet meaningful of the texts saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORLD LEADER!" and the text from someone who was right there in front of me but just had to SMS his/her birthday wishes. Thanks for the texts guys! Sorry if I didn't reply any of them because I either overlooked them or missed them and sorry to those people who got replied many times because I did not remember replying them. (=D)

I'll be honest, I have lately come to realize and accept the harsh fact that throughout my time in Santa Laurensia Junior High School, at least in my final 9th Grade year, every student in the school at least knows who I am one way or another (as if I'm Student Body President or something) but I don't know everyone. I do recognise the faces of every Junior High Laurensian in 14h to 16th generation, but I don't think I would know all the names, all the more have saved their phone numbers on my phone and know who's is this text from. I would not really say that I am a "popular" student. I don't even know if people associate their knowledge of me to good things. But my point is, it just feels weird. In PSB, everyone knew who I was, but that was because it was such a small school and everyone knew everyone else anyways. But here in Laurensia, it's all different. Whatever it is, I don't like this concept of being "known".

So, long story short. The conclusion: the whole world found out it was my birthday, despite that I still forced everyone to work (actually, it was kind of the other way around at the beginning) and my parents decided to treat everyone for dinner (which was still mostly a work-based session) and it turned into a birthday party when there was a cake (damn birthday cakes!). But despite my frustrations that I didn't pull off my trick, it was an awesome day, as any AYC + GYF day is. It was my last birthday spent in Jakarta for at least the next few years and I'm glad that in my last year in PSB, I spent a birthday with my PSB pals and now I have one birthday with my fellow Laurensians as well.

But the thing is, I don't want to think of that day as a celebration of my birthday. I prefer to regard the festivities as a celebration of my relationship with these Laurensians. The people who came were all AYC or GYF or the 2 people who inspired me to end up in Houston. They are kind of the perfect representatives of the group of people who have shaped my Laurensian Journey (ok, not perfect, certain people were not there and those people would have perfected the day, but it's ok). It's a celebration of our journey together and at the same time, the perfect time for me to close the book and let go of them to continue on without me.

So what was the lesson learnt on that day? There is no hiding a birthday from a Laurensian!

The Journey Finally Begins --> Singapore

If there was one thing I learnt this time, it was that leaving a Maths test half blank is not automatic elimination. Suddenly, my name appeared on that website that night under "Successful candidates for Interview". Working from the back never fails me!

I remember the first day in PSB, when the 27 of us walked into that Ruko (Shophouse). I remembered how we all ended up in that tiny MPH (Multi Purpose Hall), probably only the size of two classrooms in Laurensia, on the fourth floor and we were all panting on our way up. In that room, the objective was stressed many, many times. On day, one of us would be admitted to a school in Singapore. (Note: only ADMISSION. We're not talking about scholarships yet)

And so the hard work went underway, but the wait never did end.

Primary 6 to Sec 1, not a single school admitted me after a gruelling week in Singapore applying from one school to another.

In Sec 1, we tried again for admission, to Sec 1. Even that didn't work out.

Sec 2 was when I moved to my new school, Santa Laurensia, where the objective was deemed not met since I had left PSB. But by then, a few other PSB kids had made it, all of them being from the cohort below me, the cohort which I mentored some of them during the year-end break which was my "historical" transition from PSB to Laurensia.

The holiday separating Sec 2 (Grade 8) and Sec 3 (Grade 9) was the holiday I started charging for my mentoring services because I was earning money for AYC. That was another cohort which had Singapore Success Stories as well.

I went for AYC in Singapore, where in a few magical days of interacting with amazing people from around ASEAN, most of them Singaporean students, among them students from some of the best schools in Singapore, I was reminded of my long lost "objective". It was then when I started searching for a school again. (Well not during AYC, after of course)!

After AEIS and tests at RI, things still didn't work out.

Then, as I was about to give up, everything changed, all in just a few hours.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rank yourself on how prepared you are for this scholarship?" was the question thrown at me during the interview.

With hesitation, I said 9.5 (damn I'm crazy). Since I had just blurted such a high number without thinking, I'd best not wait for them to ask why. "I'm ready for this because I've prepared for this day all my life. Like the test yesterday for example, I didn't really study for it, well, I did, but it was only a few hours of revision. But it wasn't because I feel I'm so good or snob, I've been waiting for this day for a very long time, since I first started studying, since I was in Primary 4. I didn't take a 100 hour crash course like I know many other candidates did. For me, no point I drill for this test and then before I even go to Singapore I forget everything. For me, best I actually didn't study for the test, so the results of if I make it to the next round or not reflects my true capabilities. And besides, I've been working towards this for a very long time now."

"Then what's the 0.5 representing?"

"Well, since I moved to Laurensia, since there was a huge switch in the curriculum from Singaporean curriculum to Indonesian curriculum, my engine is cold and I need time and practice to kick-start my engines again!" Of course, we spontaneously broke into laughter together.

There was also my favourite question of the interview, "Are you Singaporean?"

"Err.... how should I answer this question.... Err.. no!!!"

But it's amazing, how life can change all in a day. In just a few hours, I was signed into a Scholarship and I just could not believe it. Till today, I'm not really realizing that this is a scholarship, I still think it's only ADMISSION.

When I found out I had made the final cut, I was at May Star (the Dim Sum place) with Zoya, Owen and Vinsens. Before the food was even served, we could already see tears of joy running down Zoya's cheeks. Yet, tension continued to fill the air for us boys throughout the meal. As the final "complimentary" dish was served, we had gotten the good news.

I remember hurrying my mom to lend me her Blackberry so that I could call Ms Anna and Ms Ng, the two teachers who have shaped me to be who I am today and just so happens one is a Maths teacher and the other teaches English. I ran to the pool near the restaurant to make my calls, none of which got connected. As I gave up calling them and turned my back to run back into the restaurant, I noticed Owen having the same fate and doing the same thing. As we walked back in together, I told him "this is it Owen, it all begins now!"

And so as of 2012, like what Owen said on his blog, I will be blogging from the island of opportunities, Singapore.

Be A Communicator, Not A Speaker

Today, work begins. As we entered the room, we came into our first session. To be a world leader, you have to be able to get the people you are leading to have the same vision as you do. Nothing can be achieved if your people have no intention of reaching the same goals as you. To do that, you need to be able to persuade them and there is really only one skill you need to master, Public Speaking!


We were asked to give a 1-2 minute speech on the topic "Your Most Embarrassing Moment" and I must say that I was very surprised to hear 2 stories that had something to do with me (thanks a lot guys *sarcastic mode on*) but hey, it was part of the fun. Long story short, we had a great time and I want to thank Yu Li for the very interesting session!

We then moved on to the Icebreaking session where we got to know the other Youth Delegation Leaders (YDLs) from Singapore and Vietnam. It was nice to get to know them better, especially the Vietnamese YDLs who we were staying in the same hotel with.

I came the time to do a Mock-up of the things that would be happening at the actual convention. We each presented about ideas on the problems in ASEAN and how we could fix them.

As the presentations went by, we started to learn about how the problems each country was facing was very different from one another. For example, the Singapore Delegation talked about Youth Empathy. From an Indonesian's point of view, and I guess the Vietnamese also felt the same way, there are problems in our countries far more serious than Youth Empathy such as Poverty. The Vietnamese talked about how Youth Empowerment is a very hard thing to achive in Vietnam and the best place for them to start taking action is by improving the educational system. According to them, 98% of the school curriculum is dedicated to sciences.

Through the presentations I learnt how different the problems facing each country could be. However, at the same time, two or all of the countries could be facing one common problem but at different levels. Two issues that we found were common to all three countries were the Education System and the Environment.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with Ambassador Ong Keng Yong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Ong is the former secretary of ASEAN.

On Friday we have to present on the topic "Can Indonesians Think?" Can Indonesian people think and get creative and innovative? Can they think as well as people in the US or in the EU? We will be very strongly considering your comments since we were asked to get the opinions of the people back home. This is you first and one of the best chances for you to make a difference. So come on people of Indonesia, Can Indonesians Think???

What You Say, What You Do, Can CHANGE The WORLD

Over 300 Youth Delegates from 10 countries from all over South-East Asia will come together in the bustling city-state of Singapore for one reason, to build the future of ASEAN. As we get closer to the ASEAN Youth Convention (AYC), I wonder if I will be able to make my mark on this world. I mean, who am I? I'm only a "kid"! Am I actually going to be able to do something for the better of ASEAN?

The Preparatory Day on Sunday was coming to an end. We were all reminded about our flights. Then, it was my turn to lead an exercises that to me, explains everything.

We form a circle, holding hands with the people beside us. Toby turned off the lights, then, we closed our eyes. "Imagine you are on a field, where not a wall is in sight." I began. I for one, kept my eyes open, just to make sure that nobody was fooling around. The main idea of the activity was to get them to imagine what was on the line. When I did a way less "dramatic" version of this when I had the Copenhagen Gala Dinner, it really made me realize that what I did there and then could make a difference, for better or for worse.

I then went on. "There are 70 million Youths in Indonesia, and there are 20 Indonesian delegates standing in this circle. Now turn you head and look behind you. Standing behind each of you are 3.5 million youths, youths of Indonesia, youths that you represent. What you say, what you do, what you achieve in Singapore, could make a difference in their lives!"  Then, I went on to telling them that we don't just represent the Youths, we represent all the people in Indonesia. That's 10 million people standing behind each of us. On that field, all 200 million Indonesians stand united as one.

As I began to picture that, I kind of started to realize how big a responsibility I had. I could make a difference in this country, and ultimately the world.

So, what is it actually that is so special about Youths that we can actually have a say in the future development of ASEAN? What can YOUTH Empowerment do?

"Kak OSIS" - Walking With The New Generation

One thing I must confess that most of the current 8th and 7th graders in Laurensia don't know is that I have never experienced MOS, MABIS or School Orientation or anything like that. I came into Laurensia in the 8th grade and PSB never seemed to have such a thing at the beginning of secondary school. I must admit that I do feel "unqualified" to be "mentoring" the MABIS (Masa Bimbingan Siswa) as I had no idea what to expect other than the unpleasing descriptions given to me by my fellow Student's Council Members. As much as these new 7th grades had no idea what was in store for them, I had no clue what was in it for me too!

After out early morning clock-in time on Monday and after 7:15, I came into my assigned class, 7E,  to start counting the number of empty seats in the classroom. I waited a little longer till there was only one vacant seat left to then finally come to the decision that it was the right time to start talking. I told them that I would be one of their mentors, though not the class coordinator (of course, I was a blank as them), and asked them to turn off their phones. Then all the other OSIS (Student's Council) mentors came in to help me out with my half-hazardly Bahasa Indonesia.

Nothing out-of-the-ordinary happened apparently, to my surprise. But it just felt weird throughout the whole process. For one thing, it was the first time in my life I had been called "Kak" (It means like older brother or the title you use to address someone who is only a few years older than you F.Y.I.), moreover "Kak OSIS"! First of all, I'm the type of person who finds no age barriers between me and younger kids. I really was just expecting them to call me by my name. I guess for formality they kinda had to address me properly, but I hated how I was kind of seen as "higher" than them. When I came to Laurensia, I didn't really have to call anyone "Kak" because no one was "higher" or more superior than me. It was like your first day in a new office. But it just felt weird that now people were "looking up" at me (probably not the best way to put it).

With that being the situation, I finally accepted that I did have some authority over them (hehehe). Having other duties in other classes, I kind of took the opportunity to "observe" what the other OSIS were doing to their so called "victims". Well, to me, they kind of basically made sure that they did their job and ensured that their individual classes were not going to make a fool out of themselves during the closing-ceremony performance (sorry guys, but this is really kinda the best way put it). I know this sounds very overly mature of a 13 year old kid to say, but seeing the situation I was in, I thought that if these kids "looked up" to me, I figured it was an opportunity for me to inspire them, so that at least they would actually get something out of  looking up at me instead of seeing me as a role model only to gain no good qualities in themselves.

So, with that said, I really tried my best to implant some good qualities in these kids so that they don't make the same mistakes I and other people made in Junior High School. How did it go, well, I guess they would definitely remember me for giving out sweets and scolding them for not singing well enough. But whatever the result, I wish 7E and all the other 7th grade classes all the best in their Junior High School Journey!

Do Others Care More About Us Than Ourselves?

The other day I was at Burger King at Supermal Karawaci about 4.30 pm. I sat between two occupied tables (well not really between, more like close to, but it doesn't matter).

On the table to my right, there were two men, most likely in collage or something. Though they looked Asian, they had very strong American English accents. I inferred that they were definitely not Indonesian.

On another table in front of me, there was a family of a father, a mother and two sons. Now there was not question that they were Indonesians.

Long story short, let's skip to the part when these two tables finished their meal. At the table in front of me, the family finished up their meal, wiped their hands with tissue, placed it on the table along with all the other rubbish and stood up and walked out of Burger King. If you're Indonesian, you might think "Nothing so special about that, it's a common sight!"

At the table to my right, I saw something that shocked me. The guy basically put all the rubbish onto the tray, took the tray with him to the rubbish bin, emptied the tray and put the tray on top of the bin. If you're Indonesian, you might think "Kurang kerjaan banget nih orang!"

Ok, I've got to be honest with you. What the foreign guy did was really something I haven't seen in a very long time. The last time was probably in Singapore or in Australia I guess. But think about it, and compare and contrast. Think about the title of the blog post and think about it. What do you make out of that. Share your thoughts and comment!