IF98

Hari ini gak ada bos lagi... heheheh...

Dan kami bertiga (aku, Bi, dan Dudut) melarikan diri... makan siang di tempat yang agak jauh. Kebetulan si Sapi pas baru balik dari Bogor. Jadilah kita makan berempat. Tempatnya adalah di resto Medan Baru.

Resto ini terkenal akan Gulai Kepala Kakap-nya. Menurut sumber yang kurang dapat dipercaya, katanya dikasih bumbu sedikit ganja untuk mengentalkan kuahnya. Hmm... yang namanya ganja kan emang asal muasalnya adalah bumbu masak, asal dipergunakan dengan benar aja. Aku sih bilang sama teman-teman: "Aku tak tau info itu bener apa enggak, yang pasti kalo abis makan di situ jadi teler." Hehehe... ya iyalah... wong gak makan di situ aja, asal kekenyangan, terus teler... :-D

Selain terkenal akan Gulai Kepala Kakapnya, resto ini juga terkenal akan mahalnya. Hehehe... 1 porsi nasi yang ukurannya kecil aja 4500 rupiah. Padahal aku dan Pi aja makan 1 1/2 porsi (jadi kebayang kan gimana kecilnya?? aku lagi gak mode tong sampah on nih).

Kalo kuah Gulai-nya emang mantap banget. Aku sampe gak rela "menumpuk"-nya dengan kuah makanan lain. Entah nasinya atau kuahnya ada yang dikasih aroma pandan. Jadi waktu selesai makan, tanganku yang berlumuran kuah itu sama sekali gak bau amis ikan kakap, tapi bau wangi pandan... hmm...

Selesai makan, tadinya mau ke Ambasador, tapi si Sapi minta dipulangin ke kost, trus aku, Bi dan Dudut akhirnya mutusin untuk pulang ke kantor lagi aja. Di tengah jalan, si Dudut cegukan. Haaa?? Jangan-jangan si Dudut mabok kena bumbu itu??

Belakangan ini... kami para pekerja TI di lantai 10 lagi pada rajin beternak kecoak. Hampir di setiap meja (meja Bi, mejaku, meja Iqbal, meja mas Narma, meja Dudut, dst) ada kecoak bersembunyi di balik tumpukan kertas, di bayang-bayang meja, bahkan Iqbal pernah menemukan ada sepasang yang lagi pacaran di pesawat teleponnya.

Keadaan bertambah parah dengan adanya makanan pasca lebaran. Remah-remah makanan tersebut pasti sangat bermanfaat buat keluarga besar kecoak. Aku cuman bisa pasrah waktu suatu hari ada sepotong "creamy black forest" jatuh di atas karpet belakang bangkuku... wuuuuaaaaa.... kecoak-nya makin senang dunk!!! Keberadaan cemilan merk Kriuk juga pasti mendorong berkembang biaknya keluarga kecoak itu...

Hari ini, mereka dapet temen baru... yaitu segerombolan semut yang tiba-tiba ikutan di mobil Bi. Aneh sekali semut-semut itu... kok bisa masuk ke dalam mobil, terus menggerumuti roti unyil-nya Pi. Dan ketika aku berusaha menyelamatkan si roti unyil, mereka dengan senang hati ikut menggerumuti aku... wwwuuuaaa...

Aku: "Mungkin kalo kita taroh deket meja kita aka sarang kecoak, semut-semut ini takut ya Dut..."

Dudut: "Iya kalo takut git... kalo ternyata mereka temenan sama kecoaknya..."

Aku bilang: "Iyyeee..."

Selain temenan sama semut, kadang-kadang aku juga nemu kutu berkeliaran di mejaku. Kutu apa baby kecoak ya?? Entahlah... pokoknya bentuknya kayak kutu deh... Herannya... tak ada satupun di antara kami yang berusaha untuk membersihkan meja supaya kecoak-kecoak itu gak betah... Jorse' ya?? Kami pasrah aja sih... mungkin karena bentar lagi mau migrasi kantor... heheheheh...

It has indeed been a restless few months. Running around meeting recruiters, engaging with people, meetings, coordinating with people, organizing, scheduling, trouble shooting, and finding solutions in extraodinary circumstances, not to mention baring the uncomfort of people who just can’t do you justice. I’m talking about job search and my noble task of making the school a better place by organizing case comps Yes, it’s been busy. Almost forgot I got classes to attend and assignments to deliver. But I guess this is just part of the whole experience.

The climax was this Saturday when we hosted the external case comp sponsored by T**. Had been running around in the background with getting approvals and arranging logistics - frustrated with the whole complexity of getting things done in the wonderful world of uncertainty and unexpected surprises -  and now it’s time for the show. It’s great I have Ara as my right hand, and my lovely volunteers to get things executed on the day. Got up at 5:30 am in the morning and wondered why oh why did we schedule the event so early. Got to school an hr later setting up the place running back and forth to the catering. The sky was dark and for the first time I saw people cleaning up the school building. I guess this is the other part of the day at school I’ve never quite acknowledged nor appreciated.

Shortly our teams came but breakfast was not ready. We arranged to have breakfast delivered to their b/o rooms eventually while they were doing the case. Done. Finally the S, C and the others arrived and things are finally coming together, not to mention the key person from the company I’ve been communicating back and forth via email. Time to put a ceremonial role and chat with people. Shortly after teams from other schools and judges came one after another. My volunteers started their duty, just as we planned. And finally.. the presentations, one of the judges came late.. just bc we didnt update him with the latest changed schedule. Darn, but the show must go on. AJ was there, so he handled the interface role. Our teams did great, but you know never know what the judges would think. S was doing an excellent job as an MC. Finally it was time for the reception. Went to the catering and clarified some arrangements. Done. Everyone came to the bar and mingled while the judges deliberate. Just as we planned. Some time in the session I felt someone was hugging me from behind. Our lovely faculty member. I’m glad he felt I did well on the event. Kept telling me how great the whole thing turned out.

2 o clock we opened the dining room. Time for the final show. This company person seemed to be kinda confused with the order but we finally got it resolved. And now.. announcements. Our school planted great hope for our teams, I could feel the confidence. 3rd place.. strike one. 2nd place.. almost.. but hell, strike two.. and finally.. what?? not even one place? AJ was assigned to hand the cup and everyone from the school were silent as rock, faces filled with astonishment. Beyond comprehension. But we had to be sports and came to the winners and congratulated them. I could see our teams full of dissapointment. I caught AJ for a few seconds and we exchanged puzzled looks> he was as lost as everyone else, well except for the winners. Hmm.. so I guess we weren’t meant to be the winner. I just lost my host mood and felt my body surged with exhaustion. One of my volunteers commented how tired I look. I was just stunned. Stunned. Stunned. Sat in the corner while I ate the mexican dish would would otherwise tasted delicious if my mood was cooperating w me. Exchanged comments with my volunteers who didn’t seem quite as surprised. C approached me and expressed his gratitude for the event organizing but I couldn’t help his look of dissapointment bc of another fact. What to say? It’s done. Delivered. Ppl keep telling regardless of the winners outcome the event was great. But I know we had a different sentimental tune. I tried to chat and mingled with students from other schools. Can’t help feeling my mind was somewhere else. Where did things go wrong? I know there’s gonna be a buzz this monday as the school would quickly find out what came out.

Maybe we need to follow a different strategy. Maybe we were over confident. And maybe.. sometimes, shit just happened. But there definitely has to be some explanation. Judges feedback will follow soon. Wonder what they would say about our teams. Felt like my hardwork didn’t quite payoff. Although to think of it, they have no correlation what so ever. But it would have felt great if our teams had won, at least one of them. All this hosting just for another team to win. But hmm, you never know what’s the silver lining.

But I’m glad it’s all over. Well there are still things to be done. But one great deed is delivered. At least after this I could relax a bit and continue with my job hunt and school chores. And when I say school, I mean related to classes. Ofcourse there are more case comps to come, but at least the major one is done. Spent the whole day in bed, literally in bed. So exhausted.

Midterms are coming, so better tune back to my courses. Too much excitement for the past few weeks. Time to tone down. Can’t wait to meet SS tomorrow and exchange thoughts on this. But most of all, can’t wait for an ordinary life as a student who worry just on classes. Hopefully that’s the case..

Listening to some jazz.. that always helps. Until another day of crazy case comp organizing ;p later…

It has indeed been a restless few months. Running around meeting recruiters, engaging with people, meetings, coordinating with people, organizing, scheduling, trouble shooting, and finding solutions in extraodinary circumstances, not to mention baring the uncomfort of people who just can't...