Most of them who went to primary schools in Indonesia must have heard of this famous icon haunting their schools: Mr. Gepeng (Mr. Flat). The stories my differ, of course, but the essence is quite the same: a flat ghost (presumably male) is haunting the school' bathroom.
Some said that he was stuck till death on the elevator's door. Some said that he was flattened by a construction machine. Some acclaimed that he was compressed in a plastic factory. All sort of different versions of killings that result in someone dying in a flattened form.
That was then.
Today during Bahasa Indonesia periods, our teacher told us stories that we had never heard of before, partly because it happened in our very own school. I'm a rather extreme chickenshit for ghost stories, and I may missed some part of the stories that he told us because I was too busy covering my ears and humming any song to stop myself from hearing, and sadly, imagining.
What I did heard quite completely took place in our gymnasium. Our gym is located in the basement, a closed indoor gym used mostly for sports such as basketball and badminton. My BI teacher wasnt a believer in ghosts, wasnt a denier that they may exist. That afternoon, he happened to be walking down to the mechanics room in the basement. He was walking with another teacher, passing a window that shows the gym, when he saw it.
A woman, with long black hair wearing a purple,flower pattern shirt and jeans was sitting facing the walls, combing her hair.
Shit.
At first he thought she was a maid picking up the small children from school. But given the time (primary and kindy kids went home 3-4 hrs before), he assumed that it wasnt possible. Then he asked the other teacher, and yes he saw her too. They can only see her from her back, with her long black hair.
When they arrived at the mechanics room, he told the guys what he saw.
"A woman with long black hair..." he initiated.
"With purple, flower pattern shirt and jeans?" a guy added.
My teacher was dumbfounded. How could he described the same vision that he saw a couple minutes earlier?
Shit.
The same guy then told his story. One day he was going to the restroom in the gym, when the female restroom door opened, and a woman with purple, flowery pattern shirt and jeans was walking out, backwards.
HOLEY SHIT.
Ok my goosebumbs are all standing up right now. Imagine my poor chickenshit heart when it beated quite extreme when I first heard the story, my face all pale.
And at that precise second, I vowed to myself never again shall I set foot in the gym, or go near it. I dont think my heart could take it.
Who knows that a simple Bahasa Indonesia period could do such a damage for your heart?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Uniformity in School
I hate it when school imposes rules that requires us all to be the same. These rules include same uniform (according to ur sex, obviously), same black shoes, same ankle high white socks, same can and cant do. It's like they thrive to the fact that we are all the same. I guess it makes them feel proud of themselves, that we are all successfully disciplined and punctual.
I get the idea of equality as the basis of this rule, I do. I realize that wearing free clothes to school can initiate a stark inequality between fellow students.
I hate the idea of them treating us like small children. I've been using a greenish, brownish shoes to school these days as my black shoes are gone. I decided that buying new black shoes from the school isnt worth the 4 months I'm going to use it. Another reason is that black shoes are plain obnoxious. And I'm getting daily SAMs (Special Afternoon Meetings) because of it.
I'm losing my lunch times for being different.
Today in Math, the teacher was simply super super monotonous that I had to keep myself awake by the mean of an Ipod. And what do I get from this? My Ipod is confiscated for 2 weeks.
Because noone else is listening to an Ipod.
I get that there are rules in this school that we students must unfortunately adhere to. But for me, there are only 1 reason for us students to come to school: learn. And if one have to use other means to achieve this common goal, I dont think school should punish them with any means.
It's like we students are taught to be the same. To be uniformed. To be plain, instead of being creative.
Isnt creativity the most important thing that we need once we leave the school for the real world? Isnt creativity what we need to survive?
I just dont get it sometimes. Does the school wants us to follow the rules at all times, instead of daring to be different and stand out for what we believe in? Or do they prefer us to be dumb trying to follow their rules instead of finding ways which suit us best to achieve that goal?
Im really confused sometimes.
I get the idea of equality as the basis of this rule, I do. I realize that wearing free clothes to school can initiate a stark inequality between fellow students.
I hate the idea of them treating us like small children. I've been using a greenish, brownish shoes to school these days as my black shoes are gone. I decided that buying new black shoes from the school isnt worth the 4 months I'm going to use it. Another reason is that black shoes are plain obnoxious. And I'm getting daily SAMs (Special Afternoon Meetings) because of it.
I'm losing my lunch times for being different.
Today in Math, the teacher was simply super super monotonous that I had to keep myself awake by the mean of an Ipod. And what do I get from this? My Ipod is confiscated for 2 weeks.
Because noone else is listening to an Ipod.
I get that there are rules in this school that we students must unfortunately adhere to. But for me, there are only 1 reason for us students to come to school: learn. And if one have to use other means to achieve this common goal, I dont think school should punish them with any means.
It's like we students are taught to be the same. To be uniformed. To be plain, instead of being creative.
Isnt creativity the most important thing that we need once we leave the school for the real world? Isnt creativity what we need to survive?
I just dont get it sometimes. Does the school wants us to follow the rules at all times, instead of daring to be different and stand out for what we believe in? Or do they prefer us to be dumb trying to follow their rules instead of finding ways which suit us best to achieve that goal?
Im really confused sometimes.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
5 Things I Hate About UN Class
1. It takes up all of my energy.
2. It makes me abandon my fluffy, soft, tender, thick, comfy, warm blanket at 6 in the morning.
3. It forces me to sit throughout boring, mundane, uncomprehendable, brain-squeezing 12 periods everyday.
4. It makes me fat. Coming back to school means a cup of sugar-full Poci Tea and snacks to keep me awake in classes, everyday.
5. It's been 2 months since it started, and I know nothing.
I am on the verge of extinction here, people.
I am far, far from conquering. I am suffering. I am the dumb-dumb in the class. The one that always stares blankly at the teacher with frowning eyebrows, a sign of an failed attempt to process the words coming out from the teacher's mouth.
No matter how hard or how much time I wasted on studying my notes, never once I get enough mark to pass the test. For the first time throughout my highschool yrs, I actually wasnt late for the 7 am morning devotion with my homeroom teacher. After histories of coming to school at 8 as a result of prolonged sleep and extensive snoozing.
This is extremely concerning. 2 months before my UN tests, I may still be the me without any scientific knowledge whatsoever.
I guess this jelly isnt conquering.
Once a jelly, always a jelly?
2. It makes me abandon my fluffy, soft, tender, thick, comfy, warm blanket at 6 in the morning.
3. It forces me to sit throughout boring, mundane, uncomprehendable, brain-squeezing 12 periods everyday.
4. It makes me fat. Coming back to school means a cup of sugar-full Poci Tea and snacks to keep me awake in classes, everyday.
5. It's been 2 months since it started, and I know nothing.
I am on the verge of extinction here, people.
I am far, far from conquering. I am suffering. I am the dumb-dumb in the class. The one that always stares blankly at the teacher with frowning eyebrows, a sign of an failed attempt to process the words coming out from the teacher's mouth.
No matter how hard or how much time I wasted on studying my notes, never once I get enough mark to pass the test. For the first time throughout my highschool yrs, I actually wasnt late for the 7 am morning devotion with my homeroom teacher. After histories of coming to school at 8 as a result of prolonged sleep and extensive snoozing.
This is extremely concerning. 2 months before my UN tests, I may still be the me without any scientific knowledge whatsoever.
I guess this jelly isnt conquering.
Once a jelly, always a jelly?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine 2008
Valentine this year is spent rather gloomily. We were scolded by our homeroom teacher because we missed chapel (again), plus several other skipping-classes-incidents. Or as Eveline puts it, our 10 sins. He threatened to give us warning notes number 1. Number 3 and you're out.
Then we decided to put it all behind us and treat ourselves to anything chocolatey. Unfortunately, because I am nt really a chocolate person, 3 chocolates made me sick already.
I really hate the fact that every sellers are using Valentine as a lousy marketing technique to sell their heart-shaped-extremely-pink chocolates, flowers and other heartsey products to indicate love. It's like we are being told that if you dont buy and give this freaky and unhealthy looking chocolates to your lved ones, you dont love them enough and deserved to be dumped. Wtf? It's such a stupid stupid scam. And yet we claimed to be free minded.
Back to school, when we went down and found this really cool clay thing in the school's bookstore, we decided right away to buy it. $1 each. Very cheap Valentine's Day gift.
We spent the day sharing the love by making unfortunately useless clay thingies that is lame in shape.
Then put it in a used-handouts-handmade-boxes, add in some candies, and tie a red ribbon over it.
Plus give a used-handouts-hndmade Valentine's card customed for each teacher, and they're all happy <3
Oh yeah btw I was such a cheapskate. When my physics teacher gave me a candy, I gave him one back. Then I gave his to another teacher. Then my English teacher gave me a chocolate lollipop, and I gave him a candy too. His lollipop, I gave to another teacher. See how efficient I was being? 2 little candies and 4 teachers are happy.
OK maybe I should be ashamed of myself.
Valentine has also proven to be an excellent excuse for everything. It's like teachers are bitten by worship-Valentine bug. All we had to do was give our sweetest smile and a little used-handouts-handmade-boxes and they melt instantly.
"Sir, can we not study today?"
"Why not, you lazy good-for-nothing students?"
"Because its Valentine's Day, Sir.."
"Oh right. OK let me just teach you for 5 minutes and then you can do your Valentine thingies."
Share the love, people. Share the love.
Long live Valentine's Day//
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
A Day With Eveline
Eveline is a temporary 12 UN student. She is leaving for the US on the 1st of March next month. In order to kill her spare time, she decided to participate in the UN class for a month. Here, she contributed by doing her fascinating daily routine. Get a sneak peek of Eveline's daily doodly do right here.
Euphemism will be used in order to protect the innocent.
This is Eveline:
When the bell that signals our start of the lessons, we were instructed by our English teacher to work on the question booklet in the library. We obliged. Eveline was keeping herself busy by resting her whole body and mind. Calmness. Peace and serenity from the silent library.
Euphemism will be used in order to protect the innocent.
This is Eveline:
When the bell that signals our start of the lessons, we were instructed by our English teacher to work on the question booklet in the library. We obliged. Eveline was keeping herself busy by resting her whole body and mind. Calmness. Peace and serenity from the silent library.
Alas, when she does wake up, everyone is gone. "Shit those bastards are hiding from me!" she thought calmly to herself.
Enraged, she quickly monitored where we were using her ultra high tech, state of the art handphone. We were actually in a place that she would never suspect, the classroom. By then her eyes were red with anger and her nose quickly breathing to calm herself down. She decided to take the elevator instead of walking on this perfectly-great-day-to-take-the-stairs day.
When she caught us, she smiled proudly. "I'm so smart at playing hide and seek," she thought, nodding her head at the same time. Then she would psst-ed the girl sitting next to her. "See but dont be too obvious. There are two round peach-like shape poking from the teacher's backside pants. I wonder what it is?"
Then Eveline notices that the worms in her stomach are leading a riot by themselves. We want food. So dear sweet Evelin took the elevator again to the canteen, and picked the best looking bento set to feed her precious ones.
"If I notice anything missing from my bento box, you will pay, motherfucker."
"If I notice anything missing from my bento box, you will pay, motherfucker."
*Singing a lulaby to her worms* "Mommy's here, precious. Mommy's all here for you."
At the end of the day, Eveline is the sweetest girl alive. She would sit quietly on the last row, smiling and daydreaming about her hubby He**, our Indonesian teacher plus homeroom teacher. How beautiful life is.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Crippled Capital 2
THE FLOOD IS BACK.
It has been raining continuously since last night. By this afternoon, the downpour was so heavy and never ending that most of the roads are flooded, causing a traffic turmoil all around. It's like last year all over again.
My driver was on his way to fetch my Mom from the airport this morning. He left at 1 PM, and until now (8:42 PM), he's still on the way. On the way to the airport, mind you, not on the back home.
Anyway the electricity's out. Most of my friends are suffering heavily from blackout. Jakarta is again crippled once more.
This is so troublesome. Flood on weekend. How unintended and unwanted for all human race.
What troubles me is how could this disaster is repeated after last year's fiasco. It seems that they havent learn a thing. Maybe they're too busy going to the salons to fix their hairs to look superb and apologetic on this year's hippest event, the late Mr. Soehato's funeral to even realize.
Lets pray the rain shall not start again.
It has been raining continuously since last night. By this afternoon, the downpour was so heavy and never ending that most of the roads are flooded, causing a traffic turmoil all around. It's like last year all over again.
My driver was on his way to fetch my Mom from the airport this morning. He left at 1 PM, and until now (8:42 PM), he's still on the way. On the way to the airport, mind you, not on the back home.
Anyway the electricity's out. Most of my friends are suffering heavily from blackout. Jakarta is again crippled once more.
This is so troublesome. Flood on weekend. How unintended and unwanted for all human race.
What troubles me is how could this disaster is repeated after last year's fiasco. It seems that they havent learn a thing. Maybe they're too busy going to the salons to fix their hairs to look superb and apologetic on this year's hippest event, the late Mr. Soehato's funeral to even realize.
Lets pray the rain shall not start again.
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