I am a nerd...
I am not one of the cool girl groups..
I am a loner.
Believe it or not.
I am not a book worm, I am not that smart, but I love books
I do love cloth shopping especially when I am in the mood of one particular trend. I will be willing to spend 4 hours at department store. Some other time, I can pass all the dept store even they put sale signs! I can be so calm when I accompany a friend to do shopping.
I am more into bookstores!
I can just walk through all the shelves; sometimes I dont buy anything, sometimes I will purchase some books.
If there is a bookstore in a mall, I will pay a visit.
I enjoy walking through shelves looking at titles by titles. Synopses, authors, different types of books. I keep asking myself when can I read all those things; philosophy, hostories, politics, autobiographies, and anything else! They all look so tempting! I feel like if I can have most of my time for reading, I will buy anything that I want.
I strongly believe that books are beyond printed words. Books are a whole new world. You can step into Khazakstan without paying any visa, you can go back at Majapahit era without going through all the wars, you can fall in love with a guy you never met... Thrilling.
I am not claiming myself that I will read any books. I also have preference. Although, I would like to be able to read marketing books, self help, motivation, histories, or politics. I am those who are sensitive of how the book is written. I prefer literature. It makes me sound more like a nerd.
I still remember, it might be in 2009 or 2010 that one of my friend mentioned this "for me, words, language are fascinating. Literature is fun." I could not get it until I realized how true her statement was.
My reading experience started quiet early. I could say that I accidentally got an early exposure of books. My father ever told me that I would take book over doll when I was months old. I would open it, and my eyes would not blink. I was so into it.
Every single night would not pass without my father told me stories of what he ever read. Names like Mahabarata, Old Shatterhand, Famous Five, 13 heroes, and many more. He never did the Cinderella, sleeping child or any other fairy tales. That was my mom's part. Long story short, I was introduced by these amazing sagas in my early childhood.
My first love of books are -of course- Enid Blyton's series. Famous Five is my all time favorite. My mom even bought a complete series for me when she came to Surabaya! I firstly read it at my elementary library. We had to go to the library once a week. I love Enid Blyton's series and 7 wonders (at that time). Went to Junior High School, that was the time when I actively bought books. I had a bunch of collections. Mostly were teenlits. However, I knew Harry Potter quiet late, but it just made me admit that I love reading! Period.
Afterwards, I was so into teenlits. Had a try with some indonesian literature (heavy reading with all the metaphores). Bored with teenlits, I hopped into Metropop. Love Clara Ng's works and Andrea Hirata's.
Went to USA. At the U.S., many of classes required me to read books for homeworks. Literature class, Asian American History, Anthropology. So much reading. So much fun! I then realized I could know many things from one book. For example, about the Red Khmer -Polpot massacre. It was only from an autobiograph of a survivor. Also, I knew about Indian culture, first Filipino in US, histories. Ah cant mention more. It was so exciting.
Then, it was the time when I was re-introduce again to Indonesian Literature. Say hello to Dewi Lestari. She wrote too well. Not too heavy, but every words are chosen carefully. Put it together so lovingly.
"Kenangan itu hanya hantu di sudut pikir, selama kita diam selamanya dia tetap jadi hantu, nggak akan pernah jadi kenyataan" - A memory is a phantom in the edge of mind, whilst we are in silence, ever it becomes phantom, never be a reality. Taken from Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat) by Dewi 'Dee' Lestari.
Afterwards, my good good friend introduced me to more of her works. I grew my love of Indonesian literature because of her work; tho, I read Pramudya Anantatoer's work first, but in English.
Note: Pram is one of the masters in early Indonesian literature along with Mochtar Lubis and Marah Roesli.
Now, I could spend so much on books. Still, I am picky reader who is greedy. Deep in my heart, I would love trying any other genre, read as much as I could, from marketing to philosophy, but again I am stuck in the way its written. If the book is not properly written (in my own definition), I would struggle to finish it or the worst, half read it and then bye.
You might never understand why I enjoy reading so much. What so good about literature. For me, writing is art. Poetry, fictions, journals, magazines, news, autobiography, histories, any type of writing is art. Not only literature.
I am sad that in Indonesian curriculum, literature is not in it. There is Bahasa Indonesia, but it is so textbook. I personally think based on my experience that you will know one language through its literature. John McGlean ever said (one of the founders of Lontar Fondation) said that one country can be recognized by its own literature.
I notice that many of my friends in my age , dont really know or love Bahasa Indonesia. I can know see differences between those who read and those who do not. Somehow, the ones who read will be more open minded.
You do not need to study abroad to be excellent. You need to read a lot to be more sensitive about things. To know how to handle matters.
Living proof is my own father. He has read too many books. Countless. He is just like my walking enslycopedia. He knows most anything just because he has read it somewhere. Sigh.
So, I am a little ambitious. My will is go back to classics. English or Indonesian lits. Both.
I am so happy I found The weavebirds by romo Mangun (Burung-burung Manyar), it has been my to read book since high school, but the book is old, the author has passed away, so I was almost lost hope. However, I went to a bookstore, the first book caught my eyes was that book.
Aaa... excited haha.
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one" - George R.R. Martin, a Dance with Dragons
Next: my first books haul hahaha
CVB
